Chalupa
Encyclopedia
A chalupa is a tostada
platter in Mexican cuisine
. It is a specialty of south-central Mexico, including the states of Puebla
, Guerrero
and Oaxaca
. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa
dough around the outside of a small mold, and deep frying to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle
pepper, red salsa, and green salsa.
Chalupas are very similar food to sope
s and garnachas. Their preparation methods are similar, but they are considered completely different dishes. Sopes are thick and soft, while the chalupa is thin and crunchy, for example.
A chalupa is usually longer than a sope, resembling the canoe-like boat that is its namesake, although there are also small versions (named chalupitas) available in other regions as appetizers or snacks. Chalupitas are usually topped with a tablespoon of beans, sour cream and chipotle pepper to add flavor in a similar fashion to nachos
.
An Americanized version of chalupas are sold in Taco Bell
restaurants, filled with ground meat, steak or chicken, and topped with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. This chalupa resembles an American taco inside but is wrapped with deep-fried wheat flat bread.
The dish is most often called chalupas (the plural form) even if there is only one served.
Origin: 1890–95, Americanism; < MexSp; Sp: boat, launch < F chaloupe; see shallop, sloop
Tostada
Tostada is a Spanish word which literally means "toasted". It is used in Latin America to name several different traditional local dishes which have in common the fact they are toasted or use a toasted ingredient as the main base of their preparation. There is a gender difference between "tostada"...
platter in Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
. It is a specialty of south-central Mexico, including the states of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
and Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa
Masa
Masa is Spanish for dough. In the Americas it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina,...
dough around the outside of a small mold, and deep frying to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle
Chipotle
A chipotle , or chilpotle, which comes from the Nahuatl word chilpoktli meaning "smoked chili pepper" is a smoke-dried jalapeño that tends to be brown and shriveled. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Mexican-American and Tex-Mex.Varieties of jalapeño...
pepper, red salsa, and green salsa.
Chalupas are very similar food to sope
Sope
A sope is a traditional Mexican dish originating in the city of Culiacán. Originally called gordita or pelliscadas in Culiacán. It is an antojito which at first sight looks like an unusually thick tortilla with vegetables and meat toppings...
s and garnachas. Their preparation methods are similar, but they are considered completely different dishes. Sopes are thick and soft, while the chalupa is thin and crunchy, for example.
A chalupa is usually longer than a sope, resembling the canoe-like boat that is its namesake, although there are also small versions (named chalupitas) available in other regions as appetizers or snacks. Chalupitas are usually topped with a tablespoon of beans, sour cream and chipotle pepper to add flavor in a similar fashion to nachos
Nachos
Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
.
An Americanized version of chalupas are sold in Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
restaurants, filled with ground meat, steak or chicken, and topped with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. This chalupa resembles an American taco inside but is wrapped with deep-fried wheat flat bread.
The dish is most often called chalupas (the plural form) even if there is only one served.
Etymology
As per the Mexican Spanish Dictionary, Chalupa means "boat".Origin: 1890–95, Americanism; < MexSp; Sp: boat, launch < F chaloupe; see shallop, sloop