Tortilla and Frybread

Tortilla and Frybread

Tortillas and Frybread are made by many Native American’s. They both are very popular at many events with the Native Americans. Native American families make and eat tortillas and frybread everyday. They both have similar ingredients as well.

Tortillas and frybread are both hand made but have different ways to prepare and cook them. Tortillas you would start with a mixing bowl, flour, salt, lard and a pitcher of warm water. To whereas the frybread is similar but ha a little more ingredients, you start out with a mixing bowl, flour salt, baking powder, lard and a pitcher of warm water. There is a little extra that many families prepare their frybread, they sometimes add powdered milk, fresh warm milk, and eggs for more of a butter flavor and a golden brown look. Tortillas are mainly cooked outdoors over an open fire on a disc (hot griddle) or the Natives call it a kolma. To where the frybread is cooked indoors in a frying pan with hot cooking oil. Frybread can also be cooked outdoors as well also over an open fire but may be dangerous due to oil splashing. Tortillas and frybread are both kneaded by hand and are both stretched out by hand as well. Tortillas can be different sizes from small, medium, and large circles, and frybread can only be one size that all depends on the size of the frying pan. Tortillas are thin and sometimes can be thick just depends on how much they work with their dough. Frybread is thick and fluffy. Tortillas you can make a burro and have a flat cheese quesadilla. Frybread you can have a flat Indian taco or have folded in half sandwich.

Frybread and tortillas are good combination with many foods. They are not easy to make but practice makes perfect.

I learned to make tortillas and frybread when I was 9 to 10 years old it our tradition that we learn at a young age, and once we make our first tortilla or frybread we are to give it to an elder as a gift of our new beginning with our traditional cooking, and ask...