comals

Flat cooking discs

A comal is a flat, round griddle used in Mexican and Central American cooking, traditionally made of clay or cast iron, now often aluminum or nonstick.

It sits directly over a heat source and is essential for cooking tortillas, roasting chiles and tomatoes, and toasting spices.

The comal's broad, flat surface provides even heat distribution without the raised edges that would make flipping tortillas difficult.

She heated the tortillas on a well-seasoned comal.

cookware

griddle

Flat metal cooking surface

tortillaThin unleavened Mexican bread
flatbreadUnleavened baked dough
planchaFlat cooking surface

cast iron · seasoned · circular · clay · gordita · huarache · pupusa · arepa · chapati · roti

cultural

Mexican

Of or from Tenochtitlan's successor

MesoamericanOf ancient Central Mexico
indigenousOriginating in a region
AztecAncient Mexican civilization

Maya · Oaxacan · mercado · abuela · kitchen · heritage · ancestral · traditional · regional · Central American

material

clay

Moldable earth for ceramics

ceramicFired clay material
cast ironBrittle iron-carbon alloy
carbon steelIron-based metal alloy

aluminum · terracotta · unglazed · porous · handmade · traditional · artisanal · fired · earthenware · metal

technique

toasting

Browning by heat

charringBurning surface black
blisteringExtremely intense or severe
warmingIncreasing in temperature

flipping · pressing · puffing · browning · crisping · reheating · rotating · tossing · turning · monitoring

Opposites

cookware depth/shape

comalsstockpots

Large cooking vessels

deep fryers · cauldrons · woks · saucepans · braziers

cooking method

comalssteamers

Clams or cooking vessels

boilers · double boilers · pressure cookers · slow cookers

Family

comal

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Rated G