*Quesadillas doradas* literally means “golden quesadillas,” a reference to the color the tortillas take on after deep-frying. “Fried quesadillas are a very typical Mexico City street food,” according to [Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking) of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala, Onda in Los Angeles, and author of the cookbook, *My Mexico City Kitchen*.


Gabriela Cámara’s Quesadillas Doradas Recipe

In Mexican cuisine, quesadillas are part of the vast family of foods known as [*antojitos* (“little cravings”)](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-mexican-antojitos), small, savory bites served as appetizers (other examples include tacos dorados and tostadas) or as a late-night bite after a few drinks. In Mexico City, the word quesadilla is something of a catchall, used to describe almost anything folded up in a corn tortilla. 

On the streets in Mexico City, quesadillas are often served fried, like an empanada. Hence these vegan (so, yes, cheeseless) quesadillas filled with a special part of the corn known as *huitlacoche*. *Huitlacoche* is used frequently in Mexican food and is, technically speaking, a fungus that infects corn and causes the kernels to swell up into dark, puffy growths. 

*Quesadillas doradas* literally means “golden quesadillas,” a reference to the color the tortillas take on after deep-frying. “Fried quesadillas are a very typical Mexico City street food,” according to [Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking) of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala, Onda in Los Angeles, and author of the cookbook, *My Mexico City Kitchen*.


In Mexican cuisine, quesadillas are part of the vast family of foods known as <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-mexican-antojitos' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-mexican-antojitos","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003eantojitos\u003c/em\u003e (“little cravings”)","category":null}'>antojitos (“little cravings”)</a>, small, savory bites served as appetizers (other examples include tacos dorados and tostadas) or as a late-night bite after a few drinks. In Mexico City, the word quesadilla is something of a catchall, used to describe almost anything folded up in a corn tortilla. On the streets in Mexico City, quesadillas are often served fried, like an empanada. Hence these vegan (so, yes, cheeseless) quesadillas filled with a special part of the corn known as huitlacoche. Huitlacoche is used frequently in Mexican food and is, technically speaking, a fungus that infects corn and causes the kernels to swell up into dark, puffy growths.

What Are Quesadillas?

Quesadillas doradas literally means “golden quesadillas,” a reference to the color the tortillas take on after deep-frying. “Fried quesadillas are a very typical Mexico City street food,” according to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking","linkCopy":"Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef","category":null}'>Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef</a> of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala, Onda in Los Angeles, and author of the cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen.

Quesadillas doradas literally means “golden quesadillas,” a reference to the color the tortillas take on after deep-frying. “Fried quesadillas are a very typical Mexico City street food,” according to Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef (https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking) of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala, Onda in Los Angeles, and author of the cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen.
