Quesadilla

/ˌkeɪsəˈdiə/ noun

Definition

A Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla filled with cheese and other ingredients, folded in half and cooked until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy. Common additions include meat, vegetables, or beans.

Etymology

From Spanish, literally meaning 'little cheesy thing,' derived from 'queso' (cheese) plus the diminutive suffix '-adilla.' The dish evolved from indigenous flatbreads when Spanish colonizers introduced dairy cattle and cheese-making to Mexico.

Kelly Says

The quesadilla represents one of the most successful fusions in culinary history - combining indigenous corn tortillas with European cheese-making techniques. In Mexico City, a quesadilla doesn't automatically include cheese, leading to the famous question '¿con queso?' (with cheese?)!

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