Re: Re: Tortillas - Hydrogenated Oils

[Guest guest]

Just to comment on use of hydrog fat. You don't need any fat to make tamales. And tortillas, I buy them uncooked and microwave in a closed glass container. Torts are very versatile, such as mini pizzas - tomato sauce, cheese, onions if you like.

I've noticed a tendency for mfgs to add hydrog fat to everything. AND salt.

Gluten is my enemy and I won't be surprised if they start adding IT to flour tortillas. But it's mainly the high sodium content that keeps me away from most pitas, bread - almost any flour product. It is possible to cook without any salt, except for rising in pancakes. But it doesn't take as much as the recipes call for.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: citpeks

Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:43 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: Tortillas - Hydrogenated Oils

Over the years, I have noticed a tendency for manufacturers to addhydrogenated fat to traditional Mexican foods. Flour tortillas, likeyou mention, are a particular example. Taco shells and tostada shellsare generally made commercially in the US by deep frying corntortillas in hydrogenated oils. Tamales, which are made by steamingcorn dough filled with spicy fillings also contain a high quantity ofhydrogenated oils when made commercially in the US. However, it isalmost impossible to make Tamales at home in the US without usinghydrogenated fats. The traditional recipe calls for making a pastefrom corn dough and enough lard until the dough floats in water, butmost lard sold in the stores is now hydrogenated. field used tosell refrigerated lard preserved with BHT, but it is not available anymore. Goya and Armour hydrogenate their lard.Corn tortillas are made with corn slaked in lime water overnight andare made without any fat. For this reason, they are a good fat-freesource of calcium.The Hispanic/Latin American population has grown to be the largestminority group in the US. It would not surprise me to see an increasein cardiovascular diseases in the immigrants who eat hydrogenated fatsin the US compared to those who stayed in Latin America and eat thesame traditional foods, but without hydrogenation.Tony