Tortillas are made of corn or wheat flour mixed into a dough, shaped as a thin circle, and heated on a flat pan (called comal) for a few minutes. Tortillas can be used as starters, as part of soups, as an ingredient of main courses, or eaten on their own, either with chile sauces, meats or cheeses, or simply with salt. For Mexicans, tortillas are what bread is for Europeans.

An excellent starter is Sopa de Tortillas (Tortillas' soup). It is served with cream and is absolutely a delight.

In northern Mexico,tortillas are also made of wheat flour. These, besides being used just like corn tortillas, can also be used as a dessert. Butter can be spread on the warm tortilla before sprinkling it with sugar.

Tortillas are used in many typical Mexican dishes, in different forms, such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Tacos are rolled tortillas stuffed with either beef, pork or chicken. Enchiladas are slightly fried tacos, served with a red or green hot sauce.

Tostadas are crispy fried tortillas spread with beans, chicken or beef and garnished with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa (sauce).

Quesadillas are tortillas filled with almost anything: cheese, mashed potato, or minced beef. Then they are folded over and fried or grilled. All of these are typical examples of antojitos, which means snacks.