While walking the streets and plazas of central and southern mexico, you will often get a whiff of street food being prepared on an anafre, those ubiquitous portable griddle-stoves or grills fueled by carbon or wood. The aroma of the cooking food, together with that of the fire underneath it, form an almost irresistible pull to consume the goods being sold, whether they be corn on the cob, toasted nuts, and seeds, or fried goodies such as traditional quesadillas. Around the basilica of our lady of guadalupe in mexico cityand in many a church-adjacent plaza elsewherethe aroma will be of these small, slightly-sweet griddle cakes made with masa harina (the corn flour used to make tortillas), brown sugar, and egg. Sold warm, wrapped up tube-like in paper, these little gems are truly a rustic delicacy. Passersby eat them as-is while walking down the street, or take them home to enjoy with cajeta (goats milk caramel, similar to dulce de leche), fruit jam, or some other sweet topping. Called gorditas de la villa (by association with the basilica, which is most often called la villa locally), these tiny cakes are easily and inexpensively made at home. Enjoy them as a snack, a rustic breakfast, or even as a sweet appetizer for mexico-themed dinner. They are sure to be an unexpected hit with young and old. These are naturally gluten-free.
