Head-to-Head Wraps
Not head wraps.
A head-to-head comparison of gluten-free wraps and tortillas.
It is time. Tortillas and wraps have been slow to come to the gluten-free market. I know. I've looked. For years.
Not corn tortillas. They've always been here. They will always be here. Flour tortillas? That's another story.
For those several years, all I could find were rice flour tortillas. They were exciting at first, since I finally had some sort of tortilla other than corn that I could eat.
But they quickly disappointed. I wanted to make enchiladas for the family and that is easy enough with normal, wheat flour tortillas.
It was a whole other story with those rice tortillas. Spoon in some enchilada sauce, place all the fillings in the middle, and roll. And watch them crack and break. Every time. Crack and break my enchilada-loving heart.
Broken enchilada-filled rice tortillas. Every single rice tortilla broke every single time. And the flavor wasn't even worth it.
Fast forward a few years. The gluten-free companies of the world had been working on their tortillas.
They are finally here. "Flour" tortillas, gluten-free. But they are not all created equal. Here are two options I have found in my local health-food store recently, Sonoma and Rudi's.
Sonoma Gluten Free Wheat Free Wraps
I found these first, after the rice flour tortillas. I was thrilled to try something new. A new kind of flour tortillas!
These are made with ivory teff. Not familiar with teff? It is a grain commonly grown in Ethiopia. Why do I know this? A close friend of mine is married to an Ethiopian. And this grain has all kinds of good reasons bake with it. It is in my pantry right now.
So why not a tortilla made of teff? Why not, indeed.
These tortillas look good, like flour tortillas, if a bit more of a beige color than a wheat tortilla.
And flavor? These have a mild flavor. Not quite the same taste as wheat, but milder than those rice tortillas.
And look what happens when you put them in a taco bowl pan and bake them!
These brown up so nicely! Nice and crunchy.
And perfect for turning into a taco salad.
Success! These Sonoma tortillas don't break when I rolled them, filled with enchilada filling and sauce!
Hurray! Gluten-free enchiladas are possible again!
Rudi's Gluten-Free Plain Tortillas
I found these maybe a few months after first using the Sonoma gluten-free wraps above. I saw them and had to try them.But I was wary. I was reasonably happy with the Sonoma. What if these weren't as good?
Well, I'd never know if I didn't try them, and who knows? They could even be better than the Sonoma.
The Rudi's gluten-free "plain" tortillas are very nearly white in color, much closer to what you might expect for a wheat flour tortilla.
And they are soft! Soft to the touch. The Sonoma are thinner and firmer.
Soft is good! Soft is what you need for making enchiladas! And they worked beautifully, rolling easily and with no cracking or breaking!
Gluten-free enchilada success!
Here's one of the Rudi's after being baked in a taco bowl pan.
Beautiful! Thin, brown, crispy! Even somewhat flaky. Perfect!
But what really sold me on the Rudi's over the Sonoma was their taste. The taste of the Rudi's is truly plain flour tortilla taste.
And even more importantly, they taste good right out of the package, without the need for toasting, cooking, or baking.
See, the Sonoma actually taste better after they have been baked.
Not Rudi's. Well, yes Rudi's.
But Rudi's taste great before they are baked! I can't say the same of the Sonoma.
The only down side to the Rudi's is their size. They are rather small. This isn't really a problem for me, but using the same taco bowl pan produces a Rudi's taco bowl small enough that my husband feels sorry for me. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Need a quick snack? Grab a Rudi's tortilla straight from the fridge, roll and eat. They are that good! Never mind how they make great quesadillas, too!
We have a winner! Rudi's gluten-free tortillas are great plain, rolled, baked, cooked, made into quesadillas, made into taco bowls, and made into enchiladas! They have the best taste, both before and after baking.
Roll your own gluten-free enchiladas to your heart's content. And with no cracked or broken hearts! Or tortillas!
Thank you. I don't like the rice tortillas they have an after taste. I am going try this.
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