Tlacoyos, quesadillas and griddled corn-masa street favorites

Walk into any Central Mexican market and you’ll see a comal surrounded by tlacoyos, sopes, huaraches, gorditas and quesadillas, all built on freshly nixtamalized corn masa. Tlacoyos—oval, stuffed masa cakes often filled with beans, fava or cheese—are cited as one of the most ancient antojitos and a nutritional cornerstone thanks to their maize-and-bean base. Modern vendors load them with nopales, quesillo, salsa and crema, turning a simple pre-Hispanic food into a customizable market meal. Central Mexico also has its own quesadilla culture (famously “with or without cheese”), chalupas poblanas, molotes, memelas and other small plates that together form the universe of antojitos mexicanos. These snacks are eaten at all hours: breakfast in a tianguis, mid-afternoon office breaks, late-night cravings. They’re where regional toppings—squash blossoms, huitlacoche, tinga, chorizo poblano, papas con rajas—meet the shared corn-masa base that runs through all of Mexican cuisine.