A sope is a traditional Mexican

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...

 dish originating in the city of Culiacán

Culiacán

Culiacán is a city in northwestern Mexico, the largest city in the state of Sinaloa as well as its capital and capital of the municipality of Culiacán. With 675,773 inhabitants in the city , and 858,638 in the municipality, it is the largest city in the state of Sinaloa...

. Originally called gordita or pelliscadas in Culiacán. It is an antojito

Antojito

An antojito is a Mexican street snack designed to satisfy a craving . Many antojitos have become regional icons of Mexican cuisine and can be found in almost every region of Mexico, although there are a few local variants that are exclusive to a specific place.It is widely accepted that an antojito...

 which at first sight looks like an unusually thick tortilla

Tortilla

In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...

 with vegetables and meat toppings. The base is made from a circle of fried 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,...

of ground maize

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

 soaked in lime

Lime (mineral)

Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...

 (also used as the basis for tamales and tortillas) with pinched sides. This is then topped with refried beans

Refried beans

Refried beans is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a somewhat different approach when making the dish.-Ingredients and preparation:...

 and crumbled cheese

Cheeses of Mexico

Cheeses in Mexico have a history that begins with the Spanish conquest, as dairy products were unknown in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Spanish brought dairy animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats as well as cheese making techniques. Over the colonial period, cheese making was modified to suit...

, lettuce

Lettuce

Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...

, onion

Onion

The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...

s, red

Red

Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...

 or green

Green

Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...

 sauce (salsa

Salsa (sauce)

Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...

, made with chiles

Chili pepper

Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...

 or tomatillo

Tomatillo

The tomatillo is a plant of the nightshade family, related to the cape gooseberry, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Tomatillos are grown as annuals throughout the Western Hemisphere...

s respectively), and acidified cream

Cream

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...

. Sometimes other ingredients (mostly meat) are also added to create different tastes and styles of sopes. Most sopes are roughly the size of a fist.

Traditional sopes

The sope has spread throughout all Mexico's territory, and there are now thousands of regional variants. Each region of Mexico prepares sopes using local ingredients and adding local traditional salsas and cooking recipes for the toppings, resulting in great regional variety.

While the pinched sides of the sope are its most distinctive characteristic, there are also flat sopes resembling a thick tortilla or a tostada

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"...

. However, though both tostadas and sopes are fried, the tostada is thin and fried until it becomes crunchy and fragile, while the sope is much thicker and fried only until the exterior surface is cooked. The sope therefore has a soft, slightly pliable texture. The sope's thickness is meant to support its toppings, and the frying of its exterior surface adds resistance to the moisture of the ingredients.

The most common variation of the sope involves simply adding chicken and is widely known as a "sope de pollo". Sopes topped with beef are also a common variation and are typically slightly larger than sopes de pollo.

In the northern regions of Mexico, sopes are often prepared without vegetables, substituting black beans, spicy salsa and longaniza

Longaniza

Longaniza is a Spanish sausage similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region...

 or chorizo

Chorizo

Chorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausages originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English, it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes ....

 instead.

In Acapulco

Acapulco

Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...

, Guerrero, sopes are unusually small in size, so they are called "sopecitos" instead, and are fried in the same oil used to fry seafood, which gives the sopecitos a unique taste. The sopecitos are made of beans and salsa only; no other ingredients are added.

In 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...

, sopes sometimes are prepared using chapulines

Chapulines

Chapulines, plural for chapulín, are grasshoppers of the genus Sphenarium, that are commonly eaten in certain areas of Mexico. The term is specific to Mexico and derives from the Nahuatl language...

 (roasted grasshoppers

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are insects of the suborder Caelifera.Grasshoppers may also refer to:* Grasshopper , a Hong Kong-based musical group* Grasshopper Club Zürich, a Swiss football club...

) as topping. There's also an extremely large dish similar to a giant sope or a giant tostada which is the traditional food of reference in Oaxaca known as Tlayuda

Tlayuda

Tlayuda, sometimes erroneously spelled Clayuda , is a handmade dish part of the traditional Mexican cuisine, consisting of a large and thin crunchy partially fried or toasted tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, asiento , lettuce or cabbage, avocado, meat , Oaxaca cheese, and salsa.They...

.

Similar dishes

The sope has been adopted and adapted to the local tastes of all Mexico's regions. This resulted in the creation of many traditional food specialties which may appear to resemble the sope, but are considered a different dish.

Huarache

The most common and widely know variation of the sope is the huarache

Huarache (food)

thumb|right|Preparing huaraches.Huarache is a popular Mexican dish consisting of an oblong, fried masa base, with a variety of toppings. The name "Huarache" is derived from the shape of the masa, similar to the popular sandals of the same name. The word Huarache is originally form Purepecha or ...

, which is prepared in almost the same manner. However, the huarache normally is two or three times as large as a sope and has a characteristic oblong shape. Huaraches are usually topped with rib, chicken or beefsteak meat. The name "huarache" is derived from the shape of the masa, similar to the popular sandals of the same name

Huarache (shoe)

Huaraches are a type of Mexican sandal.Huaraches are pre-Columbian in origin, and are made from woven leather. The leather is traditionally hand-woven. The name "Huarache" is derived from the P'urhépecha language term kwarachi...

.

Huaraches originated in Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 in the 1930s. Their partially accepted origin was at a restaurant owned by Carmen Gomez, who initially used an oblong corn pasty filled with beans known as tlacoyo

Tlacoyo

Tlacoyos are oval shaped fried or toasted cakes made of masa. They are similar to fresh corn tortillas, but are somewhat torpedo-shaped and fatter. Tlacoyos are stuffed with refried beans, cheese, fava beans, chicharron or other ingredients. Tlacoyos are often served as an accompaniment to soups...

(see below), as the base instead of the traditional pinched sope. In 1938, Gomez moved her restaurant to a location in the Jamaica Market (Mercado de Jamaica), a market famous for selling all kinds of traditional craftsmanship (included handmade Huarache sandals). It is there that the name huaraches was adopted. Today's huaraches have abandoned the use of tlacoyos as a base and are made solely of the same masa base as the sope. Except for the obligated use of a large portion of meat as topping, huaraches in general look and taste very much like a sope.

Tlacoyo

The tlacoyo

Tlacoyo

Tlacoyos are oval shaped fried or toasted cakes made of masa. They are similar to fresh corn tortillas, but are somewhat torpedo-shaped and fatter. Tlacoyos are stuffed with refried beans, cheese, fava beans, chicharron or other ingredients. Tlacoyos are often served as an accompaniment to soups...

 is a completely different traditional Mexican dish which must not be confused with a Sope, but in some regions has started to be used in a similar way, as a base on which on top, are placed the same ingredients used for sopes. A tlacoyo is an oval fried or toasted cake made of masa, torpedo shaped and a lot fatter, since it is filled with beans or cheese.

Since is similar in shape to a huarache (but smaller), and is made of the same corn as the sope and is even thicker (so it has more resistance to humid foods), Mexican street vendors decided to sell it adding toppings on it, as an alternative to the sope. However, note the traditional Tlacoyo it is supposed to be consumed without any toppings on it, and is on this form in which is mostly found on the streets.

Gorditas

A gordita is a Mexican food similar to the tlacoyo; the difference between tlacoyos and gorditas is the form of gorditas, rounded. They are very popular with Chilango

Chilango

Chilango is a Mexican slang demonym for a person born in Mexico City suburbs or its surrounding areas and moved there. Sometimes it has a negative connotation when used principally by someone in one of the 31 sovereign States of Mexico....

 people. Gorditas can be made with clotted cream

Clotted cream

Clotted cream is a thick cream made by indirectly heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms 'clots' or 'clouts'...

, called nata in Mexico. (In other countries, nata is the usual cream.) Their taste is sweet.

Other types of gorditas are salad and are stuffed with salsa picante or frijoles refritos.

Garnacha

Garnachas are a small corn tortilla fried with shredded meat, crumbled dried Queso Oaxaca, lettuce or pickled cabbage, and salsa. In many instances, Garnachas may only have chopped onion and salsa on top. Similar in appearance to sopes, they are a regional specialty from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec

Isthmus of Tehuantepec

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...

 region of the Mexican state of 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...

.

Memela

Oaxacan memela

Memela

Memelas are fried or toasted cakes made of masa topped with different fresh ingredients eaten as antojitos or snacks in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico which has its origins in Prehispanic food. They are similar to fresh corn tortillas, but are somewhat fatter...

s are a local name for the identical sopes that are served in other parts of Mexico, just made with different toppings. Memelas are corn masa cakes topped with beans, salsa, shredded cabbage, mole

Mole (sauce)

Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...

 negro, guacamole and cheese. Memelas have been served at Oaxacan/Mexican restaurants in the United States since the 1990s.

Chalupa

A chalupa is a tostada

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...

, not a sope, but its preparation method is quite similar. It is a specialty of south-central Mexico, such as 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...

. It is made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold and deep frying to produce a crisp shallow corn cup. It is filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, and green salsa.

The chalupa is usually longer than a sope, resembling the canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

-like boat that is its namesake, although there are also really small versions (named chalupitas) available in other regions. An Americanized form is sold in Taco Bell restaurants, filled with ground meat, steak or chicken, (and even bacon has also been available in past limited offers) and topped with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa (also comes in Baja style, replacing the sour cream with a Baja sauce), resembles an American taco inside but is wrapped with deep-fried wheat flatbread.

Salbutes and panuchos

Yucatecan food is very different from what most people would consider "Mexican" food, since includes influences from the local Mayan culture mixed with European cuisine influence.

Salbutes and panuchos are the Yucatecan variant of the sope. Salbutes are soft, cooked tortillas with lettuce, tomato, turkey, and avocado on top. Panuchos feature tortillas partially fried as a sope base, but filled with black beans and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado and pickled onions. Habanero chiles accompany most dishes, either in solid or puréed form, along with fresh limes or lime juice.