Tatemada technique (charring tomatoes and chiles)

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica — one of the oldest cooking techniques in Mexican cuisine; predates any equipment other than fire

Tatemada (from Nahuatl tlatema — to scorch) is the Mexican technique of charring tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chiles directly on a comal or in a dry skillet until blistered, blackened in patches, and softened. The char creates a Maillard reaction on the surface, adding bitter-sweet complexity and a roasted dimension impossible to achieve through gentle cooking. It is the foundation of Mexican salsa roja, moles, broths, and many stews. The contrast between charred surface and softened interior is the essential result.

Bitter-sweet complexity from char, smoky, roasted — the entire character of Mexican cooked salsas and broths depends on this technique