Gorditas are a lesser-known Mexican dish that has a casing that is made out of a pastry-like material that is most similar to a tortilla which is stuffed with meat and other filling such as cheese and some vegetables. Due to the appearance of the outer shell, one of the obvious questions that is asked is are Gorditas gluten-free.
Gorditas are gluten-free when they are made via the traditional recipe which contains a casing that is most frequently made from maize flour rather than wheat-based flour. However, if you are not making it yourself at home and are eating it from a restaurant then you do need to double-check whether it is gluten-free as some versions of the recipe do contain wheat in the casing.
Additionally, the other thing that you need to watch for is what type of gordita you are purchasing as there are some versions of the recipe that are deep fried and others that are baked. If the food is being deep-fried you also need to double-check with the person serving you at the restaurant if there are any gluten-containing dishes that are also prepared in the deep frying oil as that will contaminate the dish.
What Are Gorditas Made Of?
The casing of a Gordita is typically made from a mixture of masa harina, water, and a little bit of salt. Masa harina Is a type of flour made from pure maize and is entirely gluten-free.
In terms of the filling they can vary significantly depending upon the particular recipe that you were following, however, generally speaking, they will contain things like refried beans, ground beef, salsa, chorizo sausage, and also cheese.
Is Most Mexican Food Gluten Free?
Mexican cuisine in general is often gluten-free or can be modified to be gluten-free, however, it is not safe to assume that all Mexican foods are gluten-free. So you will find that many Mexican restaurants will actually have a gluten-free menu or alternatively be able to adjust the food they serve to you to ensure that it is gluten-free.
However, if you are making Mexican food at home from purchased items from your local grocery store it is important to understand how to read food labels to ensure that you can identify which food is safe to eat if you are catering for a coeliac.
Generally, in most countries around the world, food labeling laws require the manufacturer to declare the presence of any allergen which includes milk, soy, nuts, and of course gluten. This declaration of the presence of an allergen in the case of gluten can be done in a number of ways. The first way is to declare on the front of the packaging that the product is gluten-free.
When companies typically do this it means that they not only do not use any ingredients that contain gluten but often they have actually had the product tested to ensure that it is completely gluten-free. However, if you are eating products that are not marketed in this way this does not mean that they are not gluten-free.
To check this look at the ingredients list which will normally have any allergens included in the list highlighted in bold to make it clear. However, many companies will also provide a general declaration at the bottom of the ingredients list about the presence of allergens but there are a couple of exceptions to these rules which can create some confusion for those people that are inexperienced in determining whether a product is gluten-free.
The first exception to this is when companies produce a product that is completely gluten-free in terms of the ingredients that are present but choose to add a statement at the bottom of the ingredients list saying the product may contain gluten. This is typically done because the product is made on the same equipment used to make products containing gluten. As a result of this, companies do not want to risk any potential legal consequences and therefore place this statement at the end of the ingredients list.
However, the reality is that because the equipment is cleaned between product runs and also the product runs themselves are quite large, any gluten that is present is likely to be diluted by the size of the batch that has been made. Therefore, it is safe to consume products that have a statement like this.
The other area that sometimes causes problems is when products contain sugar of some sort that has been derived from wheat such as glucose or dextrose. These products are required by law to be declared within the product however because of the amount of processing that is required to produce sugar from the wheat, any gluten that was present has since been removed. Therefore this is another case where the product at first glance may appear to contain gluten but is in fact gluten-free and safe for a coeliac to eat.
Does Salsa Have Gluten?
The salsas used in Mexican foods are generally gluten-free whether they are purchased commercially from a local grocery store, eaten in a restaurant or made at home. The main reason for this is that all the ingredients within the dishes, irrespective of the salsa type, usually consist of fresh produce such as chilies, tomatoes, onions, and occasionally a few spices.
Do Taco Shells Have Gluten?
Taco shells are another common feature of Mexican cuisine which is eaten widely. All the commercially available taco shells in the supermarkets are usually gluten-free as they are made 100% from maize flour.
However, like all commercially available products you can easily identify this by checking the ingredients list as per the guidance provided earlier in the article.
Are Tortillas Gluten-Free?
Whether a tortilla is gluten-free will be largely dependent upon the type of tortilla. Flour tortillas which are typically white will contain gluten and need to be substituted if you are catering for a coeliac. However, if they are corn-based they are usually gluten-free but as mentioned earlier on you just always a good idea to double-check the ingredients on the packaging.
Alternatively, if you are eating at a restaurant it is important to ensure that you get the person serving you to double-check with the chef about whether the particular tortillas are they using are in fact gluten-free.
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