"Arguably the most famous of all Mexican and Tex-Mex ingredients is the humble tortilla - the backbone of so many dishes. The Tortilla Industry Association says that in 2000, Americans ate 85 billion tortillas. It's no wonder, since they're simple, delicious, and versatile. They can be used for everything from tacos and burritos to vegetarian wraps, quesadillas, and even desserts."
"In 1931, a man named George Ashley founded Ashley's Mexican Restaurant and Canning in El Paso. Ashley didn't like the quality of tortillas available to him at the time so he made his own. Being a cannery, he also began canning various Mexican foods including enchilada sauce and Spanish rice. He was also canning tortillas and, in 1938, he was contracted by the military to provide canned tortillas for the troops."
In 2020, over 233 million Americans used Mexican ingredients in home cooking. Tortillas are central to Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine; Americans consumed 85 billion tortillas in 2000. Tortillas serve tacos, burritos, wraps, quesadillas, and desserts. Commercial availability expanded in the 1950s when tortillas entered supermarket shelves as canned products. George Ashley founded a restaurant and cannery in El Paso in 1931 and began canning tortillas, later supplying the military in 1938. Local canneries followed and brands consolidated, with Old El Paso emerging and selling canned tortillas into the 1970s. Canned tortillas were popular for travelers and people outside Tex-Mex regions.
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