No one can deny that tortillas are at the heart of Mexican cuisine. If they're not actually an integral part of a dish (which they often are), tortillas are at least served on the side as "moppers" (think a slice of Italian bread after some saucy spaghetti meal). In my unfortunate experiences, they also replace forks and spoons - it's awful, almost as hard as chopsticks. There are two types of tortillas - corn and flour, and each has a particular place in Mexican cooking and society.
Corn tortillas are everywhere in Mexico; they are the one true tortilla. They are available fresh within one block of anywhere in Mexico, but packaged, factory-made ones can also be found both in Mexico and the United States. These are the economic option, pricing in at about 7 pesos per kilo (and like a dollar in Queens). Corn tortillas are those of authentic tacos, tostadas, enmoladas, quesadillas and garnachas. These are the "moppers" and the utensil replacements.
Flour tortillas, on the other hand, seem to be more popular stateside. They are sold only pre-packaged, factory-style on both sides of the Rio Grande (as far as I've seen - and, yes, I do look). Flour tortillas have a much longer shelf-life, but are also about three times more expensive. These are the tortillas of Taco Bell soft "tacos", burritos, quesadillas, tacos arabes and gringas (and not just because they're popular in the U.S. - it's the actual name of a Mexican street food).
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