Tortillas by the Kilo, Not by the Count — Epoche A2
MEMO To: Everyone in flat 4B From: Camila Date: 15 October Subject: Tortillas while I am away I will be in Oaxaca from 20 to 30 October. Tomás is new in Mexico, so here is the one thing he needs to know: how to buy tortillas. Where: the tortillería on the corner, under the yellow sign. It opens in the morning and closes about three, when the lunch hour ends. How to ask: tortillas are sold by the kilo, not by the number. Say «medio kilo» — half a kilo, about fifteen tortillas, enough for two people at lunch. The price of a kilo is on the wall. The machine: the dough goes in at the top, and the tortillas ride out on a hot metal belt. They will still be warm in the bag. Watch it once — it is the best show on the street. Carry them in the cloth from the kitchen drawer, never in a plastic bag. In the cloth they arrive at the table soft and warm. Buy every day, only for that day. Nobody buys tortillas for the week. And yesterday's tortillas are not rubbish: cut them, fry them, add salsa, and that is chilaquiles for breakfast. The watering can for the basil is still under the sink.