From the Slavery of Metate to the Corn Flour Oligopoly: A Brief history of Tortillas in Mexico

Corn tortillas have been the basic staple in the Mexican diet since Pre-Hispanic times. In other civilizations the processing of cereals for human consumption was simpler or experienced important technological advancement since the 5th century BC by the mechanization of grinding. In contrast, the processing of corn to make tortillas did not experience any technological transformation until the end of the 19th century. These changes were gradually developed and slowly adopted through the 20th the century. Thus, making tortillas, an exclusively female chore, remained extremely labor intensive for most of Mexico’s history with profound gender, demographic, economic, social, and cultural implications. This talk will address this unique Mexican feature that has been scarcely explored or even acknowledged in most of the literature, perhaps as a result of the invisibility of women’s labor. Since the problem of processing of tortillas was exclusive to Mexico and other Central American countries, it required local innovation, which faced several constraints. This talk will explore the reasons for the long delay in technological change in tortilla making. It will delve into how the tortilla making process shaped and was shaped by women’s role in society, both before and after technological changes took place. It will also address how the adoption of new technologies in tortilla making has been linked to concepts of progress and modernity incorporated in government policies that have fallen short to their promises.

Aurora Gómez Galvarriato is Professor of History in the School of Historical Studies at El Colegio de México. She is an expert on Mexican economic and social history, whose work focuses on understanding key issues of Mexican economic development and its impact on the well-being of the population. She received her PhD from Harvard University, and has held appointment as the General Director of the Mexican National Archive (2009-2013). She specializes in the history of industrialization, with a focus on the evolution of business, workers’ organizations, living standards, and the participation of women in the labor force.

Her work seeks to understand how globalization and capitalism have transformed the lives of workers and their families, as well as the agency of workers and their communities in shaping these processes. Her book Industry and Revolution: Economic and Social Changes in the Orizaba Valley, Mexico (Harvard University Press, 2013) studies these issues through the history of Mexico’s textile industry. Her recent research deals with technological change and business development in corn tortilla production through the 20th century, and its impact on living standards, particularly in the lives of women.

She has published in the Journal of Economic History, Journal of Latin American Studies, Business History Review, Enterprise and Society, and Revista de Historia Económica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, among others.