Tostada vs. Chalupa

Chalupa

A chalupa (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃaˈlupa]) is a specialty of south-central Mexico, including the states of Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold, in the process creating a concave container resembling the boat of the same name, and then deep frying the result to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, and/or green salsa. They can in many cases resemble tostadas since both are made of a fried or baked masa based dough.Traditional chalupas, as found in Cholula in the state of Puebla, are small, thick, boat-shaped fried masa topped only with salsa, cheese and shredded lettuce. Other regions in Mexico add variations, which can include chorizo, pork, shredded chicken, or bean paste in addition to the classic cheese, salsa, and lettuce toppings. In other instances, the fried masa shape is round, resembling a tostada, with traditional chalupa toppings.The widespread popularity of chalupas across Mexico has also influenced Mexican-style restaurant fare in the neighboring United States. Among notable examples in that country is the Taco Bell version. As served by Taco Bell, the chalupa does not resemble or taste much like its Mexican inspiration, but is instead a thick fried wheat flour gordita shell filled with ground beef, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. More closely resembling a taco, the Taco Bell version of the chalupa may be termed a rather distant relative of the Mexican original.