Edith the Tortilla Lady
If you ask Edith about making tortillas, there’s a good chance she’ll flash a big smile and show you both of her hands.
“Look,” she’ll say, two palms toward the sky, “my hands are so soft, they’re completely smooth—it’s like a natural exfoliant, just working each day with tortillas.”
Start your day at Arbol restaurant, and you’ll find Edith most days of the week as she masterfully crafts exquisite tortillas at the tortilla bar, set outdoors.
Raised in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Edith tells stories of learning the craft at eight years old when she and her mother would press tortillas by hand.
Down in Acapulco, she says, all the tortillas were made from white corn, but here at Arbol, in Nayarit, she proudly displays corn of all different colors, from reds the shade of Cabernet, to purples, blues, and traditional whites that burst with flavor in each kernel.
Corn, as she’ll tell you, is much more than just a staple food crop for many people in Mexico. It’s a life-giving plant and a huge source of pride, where any farmer with corn in their garden is blessed with endless fortune.
Most meals in Mexico—breakfast included—feature corn tortillas that are made into sopes, empanadas, quesadillas, or tacos, and as Edith will tell you while kneading masa, or small, round balls of dough, you can taste the difference, even feel the difference, between tortillas that are hecho de mano (made by hand), versus those you might find in a store.
Her favorite type of corn? Red, since it tastes like chocolate.
“So many people I speak with,” she explains, “are surprised to learn there are so many different types of tortillas, and corn.”
They’re all on display at the outdoor bar, where you can sit and watch Edith place balls of dough inside a wooden press, and turn them into perfectly-shaped discs of morning breakfast perfection.
Edith points out that there’s nothing artificial about freshly handmade tortillas, just a little splash of water and dough made from corn—no butter, no gluten, no oil.
And, even with all the joy received from introducing guests to freshly made food that’s proudly part of her culture, Edith also admits there’s one part of her job she might love the most:
“The view,” she laughs, while flashing another smile. “It’s hard to beat work with a view like this, looking straight out toward the sea.”
Arbol restaurant is open each morning from 7-11am, and features tortillas that are freshly made to order, along with a lavish breakfast buffet the entire family will enjoy.
