There is nothing quite like a hot fresh tortilla for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Tortilla’s are the substitute for bread on many southwest culinary menus.

Tortillas are flat, round, and thin and can be made from either flour or corn. One of the main ingredients in most Mexican food dishes, corn tortillas are most often made into tacos, tostadas and enchiladas and flour tortillas are used to make burritos and chimichangas.

However, tasty Mexican entrées are only as good as the components used to create them, and fresh tortillas appear to be the secret to success.

While some Mexican restaurants make fresh homemade tortillas right in their kitchens, most opt to have them delivered from a local tortillaria.

One of the busiest tortillarias in Tucson is located at Irvington and I-19, in the Food City supermarket. This tortillaria operates 22 hours a day and produces 3,000-4,000 tortillas, which are then shipped out to nine other Food City stores.

There are many varieties of tortillas, but the Food City Tortillaria makes only flour, corn and wheat. The most authentic tortilla contains a large amount of lard, which gives its distinctive taste, but Food City also provides a healthier option: low-fat tortillas.