P
Mexican
Tlacoyos (oval masa cakes with bean filling)
Tlacoyos are oval, thick, flat masa cakes filled with black beans, fava beans, or requesón (fresh curd), cooked on a comal until charred in patches and cooked through. They are a staple of Mexico City street markets — particularly Tepito and La Merced markets — and are made from blue corn masa for the CDMX version. Topped with nopales (cactus), salsa verde, onion, and queso fresco after cooking. A pre-Columbian preparation that has been sold at markets for centuries.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the masa
500 g
blue corn masa harina (or prepared blue corn masa)
CDMX style; white corn masa may be substituted for Oaxacan style
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
300 ml
warm water
added gradually until masa holds without cracking
Your own market
1 tsp
fine salt
Your own market
For the filling
400 g
black beans or fava beans (habas)
cooked and mashed to a thick paste; fava bean paste is the most traditional CDMX filling
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
fine salt
to season the bean paste
Your own market
For the toppings
300 g
nopales (cactus paddles)
cleaned, diced, and grilled — not raw or canned
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
200 ml
salsa verde
prepared
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
white onion
finely chopped
Your own market
150 g
queso fresco
crumbled
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Prepare the bean filling first. Mash the cooked black beans or fava beans to a thick, smooth paste seasoned with salt. The paste must be firm enough to hold its shape when scooped — if it is slack, cook it briefly in a dry pan, stirring, until it stiffens. Set aside.
2
Grill the diced nopales on a dry comal or griddle over high heat, turning occasionally, until the sliminess has cooked off and the edges are lightly charred. Set aside for service.
3
Mix the blue corn masa harina with fine salt, then add warm water gradually, working the dough until it is smooth, pliable, and holds together without cracking at the edges when pressed. Divide into eight equal portions of approximately 80 g each.
4
Press one portion of masa between the palms into an oval disc roughly 10–12 cm long and 5 mm thick. Place a generous spoonful (approximately 40 g) of bean paste at the centre. This is where the dish lives or dies: fold the masa up and around the filling, pinching the edges firmly closed along the entire seam until no gap remains — any opening will allow the filling to leak onto the comal. Shape the sealed cake into a distinct oval with slightly tapered ends.
5
Heat a comal or heavy cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Place the tlacoyos seam-side down. Cook for 3–4 minutes per side until the surface is dry, cooked through, and charred in patches. The tlacoyo is done when it lifts cleanly from the comal and the exterior is firm with visible dark spots.
6
Transfer the tlacoyos directly to plates while still hot. Top with grilled nopales, a spoonful of salsa verde, finely chopped white onion, and crumbled queso fresco. Serve immediately — tlacoyos dry out if held.
From the canon — Salsa verde is built from tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica — not green tomatoes, an entirely different plant) combined with fresh green chiles (serrano or … Salsa verde — tomatillo preparation →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Freshly nixtamalised blue corn masa ground to order; heirloom fava beans cooked from dry and mashed by hand; hand-made salsa verde from tomatillos charred on the comal; artisan queso fresco from a small dairy.
02
Estate — Stone-ground blue corn masa harina from a specialist mill; fava bean or black bean paste cooked from dried beans at home; fresh tomatillo salsa verde made the same day; good-quality queso fresco.
03
Market — Commercial blue corn masa harina; dried beans cooked at home; jarred or market-stall salsa verde; standard supermarket queso fresco.
04
House — White corn masa harina in place of blue; canned black beans, drained and mashed; shop-bought salsa verde; mild feta as a substitute for queso fresco.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The bean paste holds its shape when scooped and does not slump or spread — it is firm enough to remain in the centre of the masa during shaping.
◇Touch. The masa dough is smooth and pliable with no cracks at the edges when pressed into a disc — it is sufficiently hydrated.
◇Touch. The sealed seam of the tlacoyo yields no gaps under gentle finger pressure along its length — the filling is fully enclosed.
◇Sight. The cooked tlacoyo lifts cleanly from the comal and shows dry, firm surfaces with patches of dark char — it is cooked through.
◇Where it lives or dies. The tlacoyo lives or dies at the moment of sealing: the masa must be folded and pinched into a completely closed seam with no gaps, or the filling leaks onto the comal and the cake is lost.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
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The whole pairingPillar VII
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Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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