A tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, and sauce made from chilies is called an enchilada; the Spanish name of this Mexican dish might be literally translated into English as in-chillied, but—since no such term exists in English—it is better translated idiomatically as filled with chili. The word did not enter English until the end of the nineteenth century, about two hundred years after the word tortilla first appeared. This late appearance may be due to the enchilada not becoming a staple of Mexican cuisine until it was “discovered” in the late nineteenth century by Anglophone tourists.
In the realm of culinary arts, a tortilla that has been baptized in a hot sauce, tenderly fried, then elegantly enveloped around a savory filling of meat, chorizo, cheese, and other such ingredients. The final product is then crowned with a generous topping of more of the aforementioned sauce, and an ample sprinkling of grated cheese.
A dish called chalupa typically features a corn tortilla that is fried briefly in lard to make it soft. The tortilla is then filled with various ingredients, such as beans, meat, or cheese, and topped with sauce before being served hot. To add more flavor and texture, shredded lettuce, sliced radishes, and olives are often added as a garnish.