Torta

Tortais a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies,flatbreads,sandwiches, oromelettes.
Usually, it refers to:
'Torth' – Welsh for 'loaf' is of the same derivation (Latin: torta)
The word comes from the Spanishtorta(Spanish:[ˈtoɾta]), itself from Late Latintorta, an abbreviation oftorta panis("twisted bread"). The English word "tart" is related.
In some countries ofLatin America, the wordtorta, in a very common usage, is for sweetcakes(tortes), such as aweddingorbirthday cake. This meaning is also present in other European languages. For example, theItaliantorta,GermanTorteorFrenchtarte. In Mexico, the sweet cake is normally referred to aspastel, which is also used in other parts ofLatin Americawith this meaning.Huevo en torta(not to be confused withtorta de huevo) is a typical pastry fromSobrarbe,Aragon, Spain. It could also mean a sandwich made from a bread calledbolillo, with a filling ofmeatandvegetables, which can include beef,cochinita pibil, and many others.
In the southernPhilippines, in theVisayasandMindanaoislands,tortais generally used to refer to small cakes. It usually refers tomamónortorta mamón, a native porous sponge cake delicacy (traditionally made withlardandpalm wine) that resembles a largecupcakewith butter, sugar, and/or cheese on top, traditionally served withsikwate(a thick, hot drink made of ground roasted cacao seeds) for afternoon snack or merienda.
In Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Swedish, Italian, Macedonian and Bulgarian, it is a word for cake, typically made withlayered spongeand cream, chocolate or fruit filling. In Portugal, it designates specifically aSwiss roll.
Also in Arabic all kinds of tarts are called torta, in Greek, Tourta is a name for cakes.
Tortain Spain originated in different regional variants offlatbread, of which thetorta de gazpachoandtorta cenceñastill survives in certain areas of CentralSpain. Tortas are also mentioned inLeviticus24:5-9, in the Spanish translation of theBible. Presently, however, the wordtortais also applied to different kinds ofbreadandpastryproducts according to the region.
Historically, the difference betweentortaandbreadwas its round and flat shape, as well as the use of baking soda/powder as the proofing agent instead ofyeast. In most regions, atortawas traditionally considered an inferior form of bread, as the well known Spanishaphorismexpresses:
In Mexico, a variation says:A falta de pan, tortillas("Where there is no bread,tortillas"). However, the term "torta" in Mexico typically refers to a sandwich made with bread (seeMexicosection, below, for more details).
Torta fritais a fried flatbread eaten inUruguay,Argentinaand theChilean Patagonia.
In the northernPhilippines, particularly amongTagalog-speaking provinces and islands,tortarefers to a class ofomelettesmade by mixing eggs with various ingredients.
Tortas can be served any time during the day. There are many variations on Filipino tortas, such as:
Tortilla de huevois a small fried mixture ofscrambled eggs, usually eaten sandwiched in bread.
In Italian, "torta" means eithercakeorpie, however sweet or savoury. However, in the US, it came to have a different meaning within the Italian-American community.
The Italiantortais differentiated fromcrostataby the filling: acrostatahas an inconsistent chunky filling, whereas atortahas a consistent filling made of blended ingredients.
Some falsely believe that an Italian crust torta is a combination of layered cheeses and tomatoes to be spread onto bread. Italian torta is a pie similar toquicheand served as a brunch item. However, torta is different than quiche as thecrustis mostly made of cheese, not egg. The crust can also be made from pizza dough. Ingredients vary as there are many variations of this torta. Traditional Italian torta usually includesricotta,parmesan,parsley, andonion. There are also variations that contain meat and some that are completely vegetarian. These vegetarian torte sometimes contain artichokes and spices for flavor. This torta is made in aspringform paninstead of a traditional pie pan.
Torta in Portugal, Brazil and otherPortuguesespeaking countries refers to a moist cake or a pie which can be a sweet or savory dish.
Torta in Malta means a pie, which can be sweet or savoury.
Most "tortas" are generally savoury, with a classicMaltesedish being "torta tal-lampuki" (lampuki, singular lampuka, are a type of common fish found in Maltese waters).
A common example of a sweet Maltese torta is "torta tal-lewz" (lewz, singularlewza, meansalmondsin Maltese. Almonds are a very common ingredient in Maltese cuisine, although some people prefer to use marzipan over almonds, either because of ease, taste preference or cost.
InVenezuela,Ecuador,Chile, andUruguay, people typically refer to dessert cakes as "tortas."
InMexico, atortais a kind ofsandwich,served on one of two types of whitesandwichrolls. The first is similar to a smallbaguette, and may be referred to as abolillo, birote, orpan francésdepending on region. The second is a flat, oblong, soft roll also called asandwich roll, also referred as a telera. Tortas can be eaten cold or hot, and grilled or toasted in a press in the same manner as aCuban sandwich.
Garnishessuch asavocado,chili pepper(usuallypoblano,chipotleorjalapeño),tomato, andonionare common. The dish is popular throughout Mexico, and is also available anywhere with a large Mexican population. In Northern Mexico, thetortais very frequently calledloncheby influence of the English "lunch", as it may be eaten during lunch break.
The sandwich is normally named according to its main ingredient:
A fewtortashave names whose connections to their fillings is less clear. Thetorta ahogada(meaning "drowned"torta) ofGuadalajarais smothered in a red sauce. Different fillings are available and they may be mixed to create an originaltorta. Meanwhile, thetorta cubana("Cubantorta") is stuffed with a variety of meats, the identity of which varies across Mexico. Thistortais unrelated to the Cuban sandwich served in Florida and Cuba and is not believed to have any connection toCuban cuisineat all; instead, it seems to have been named for the place of its invention,Calle Republica de Cuba(Republic of Cuba Street) inMexico City.
Due to the practicality of being hand-carried,tortasare sold at massive events, such as football matches, parades, and outdoor concerts, but they are also available for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at dedicated establishments or sold asstreet foodbyfood carts.
The origin of the torta is unclear, but some claim it sprouted inPuebladue to Spanish-French interaction; others argue it was a late-arriving example of American influence.Teleras(the bread usually used in tortas) were inspired by French baguettes.