Tortilla wraps

[Deleted]

All of the various "wraps" are the latest food fad in France, whether in the fast food eateries or on the shelf in the lunch shops next to the sandwiches.

I am somewhat perplexed by their popularity, because they are not all that practical, the item used for a wrap (tortilla? crêpe? chapati?) is as tasteless as possible and the whole concept just speaks of laziness.

So, what is the point? All I can imagine is that give a relatively clear conscience to people who have decided that "bread is bad."

[bixaorellana]

When wraps hit the US people were quite smug about eating that way -- 'Oh, we had wraps for lunch' -- which sounded so much more upscale than having tacos or gyros, apparently. It sounded like they were eating their overcoats & mittens.

To be fair, limp flat breads are an acquired taste. I never had a tortilla until I grew up, & my first reaction was - people eat this? why? Now I pretty much crave them.

I guess I eat "wraps" frequently -- it's an easy meal for one person. You don't need much filling, which is an opportunity to use up a little cooked meat or fish, or cook some sausage &/or egg for those that like it, or cheese, add bell pepper or chopped onion, parsley or cilantro -- you get the idea. Heat any of those things singly or together, then put on a hot tortilla with some chopped onion & hot sauce, roll it up & that's it.

If decent pita were available here or chapatis, I imagine I'd experiment with them.

I guess eating my tortilla "wraps" is always acceptable to me because I never thought of them as wraps until I read this post.

[Deleted]

I enjoy the fact that the French have no idea how to pronounce a word that is spelled "wraps" because W is a 10-point Scrabble letter in France -- extremely rare. Most of them say 'vrapz'. "Donnez-moi un vrapz, s'il vous plaît."

It's all their fault, because in Québec that would never be permitted. Over there, they invent a new French word if a French equivalent doesn't exist already.

[bixaorellana]

New Worlders are adaptable. Here they eat sahnweechays and 'amburguesahs.

[Deleted]

OMG, Québec has let me down -- even they could not find a French equivalent for "wrap". Poulet Frit à la Kentucky (PFK) sells this stuff :



However, I noticed that they also sell "ailes piquantes" whereas KFC in France sells "hot wings".

[lagatta]

I was just about to tell you that "wraps" "râpes" en québécois, comme tu peux imaginer! - is an exception. I hate that word in English, so even more in French or other languages. They are a tasteless offshoot of tortillas. I can finally get decent Mexican corn tortillas here - made by a middle-aged guy who works the "masa" (corn dough) and has "le jeune" put them on the contraption that cooks them. Sadly, with the snow, I can't get them home warm walking, as I can on my bicycle. I hate those cardboardy floury ones - they actually contain a lot of oil, like crappy American or Northern Eureopan bread - so they stay supple. Fat without pleasure is sin!

Is the bread-phobia a Montignac thing? I never noticed that les Français de France were particularly heavy even when they ate bread that tasted of bread.

kerouac, living in the 18e, you have perhaps noticed that there is a KFC in rue Poulet (Château-Rouge?) When I was there we also saw a coach full of CRS (police) who are also poulets. Trois poulets pour le prix d'un seul.

I impose the word "courriel" even when interpreting across the pond, though I'm careful about Québec and European francophone usage (yep, there are a lot of Belgians about, and some Swiss, as well as French). I hate the French "mèl" for e-mail.

[bixaorellana]

Lagatta ~~ re: hot corn tortillas ............

Don't worry about getting them home warm. Realistically, you'd have to have hot food waiting as you skated back into the house with hot tortillas to fully enjoy them anyway.

Do as they do in Mexico -- collect your tortillas in a cloth, so that too much moisture won't build up. I like to slip the cloth-wrapped tortillas into a plastic bag. Once home, set them aside outside the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them. Have on hand either another cloth or one of those special containers for hot tortillas. Now, light the stove and place the tortilla directly on the flame (well, okay -- that grill thing over the flame). Leave it there @30-40 seconds, then do the other side. As each tortilla is done, slip it into the receptacle you've chosen and heat the next one.

Note: the correct way of heating them over an open flame is to heat the "espalda" (back) first, and the "panza" (stomach) second. You can tell the difference because the espalda is smoother & somewhat tougher.

[bixaorellana]

Another tip about hot tortillas -- before you use any cloth to contain them, smell the cloth deeply. If you can discern the slightest hint of detergent or fabric softener, don't use that cloth. The heat & moisture with drive that perfumey smell directly into your tortillas.