My Favorite Dish: Enchiladas

Hello everyone!

For today’s Tutor Column, I want to write about one of my favorite foods.

My favorite dish is enchiladas.

If you have never eaten enchiladas before, they are a Mexican dish made with tortillas, filling, sauce, and cheese. The filling is often chicken, beef, beans, or cheese. The tortillas are rolled up, covered with sauce, baked, and served hot.

It is simple, warm, rich, and delicious.

In my opinion, enchiladas are one of the best comfort foods in the world.

Enchiladas in California

I grew up in California, so Mexican food was a normal part of my life.

When I was younger, I ate enchiladas all the time. There were many Mexican restaurants, and enchiladas were always easy to find. I did not think of them as special back then. They were just part of everyday life.

But now that I live in Japan, I feel very differently.

I love Japanese food very much, of course. I love ramen, sushi, curry rice, tonkatsu, and many other dishes.

But sometimes I really miss the Mexican food I grew up with.

And enchiladas are probably the dish I miss the most.

Hard to find in Japan

There are some Mexican restaurants in Japan, especially in bigger cities. But enchiladas are not often on the menu.

You can always find tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas. Those are great too! But enchiladas are a little harder to find.

So when I do find enchiladas in Japan, I get very excited.

It feels like finding a small piece of home.

Of course, the taste is not always exactly the same as what I remember from California. Sometimes the sauce is different. Sometimes the cheese is different. Sometimes the spice level is different.

But I still appreciate it.

When you live far from where you grew up, food can become connected to memory. One bite can remind you of family, friends, restaurants, neighborhoods, and small moments from the past.

Why I love them

I think I love enchiladas because they have everything I want in one dish.

They are...

warm

soft

cheesy

saucy

filling (soooooo filling)

a little spicy

very satisfying

I especially like enchiladas with red sauce. Green sauce is also good, but red sauce feels more nostalgic to me.

“Nostalgic” means something that makes you remember the past in a warm or emotional way.

For me, enchiladas are nostalgic.

They remind me of California, casual family dinners, and small Mexican restaurants where the food was simple but amazing.

Food and language

One thing I enjoy about teaching English is that food is always a great conversation topic.

Everyone has a favorite dish. Everyone has food memories. And everyone can explain why they like something, even with simple English.

For example, you can say...

“My favorite food is curry.”

“I like it because it is warm and filling.”

“It reminds me of my family.”

“I usually eat it in winter.”

“I want to try making it at home.”

These are simple sentences, but they can become a real conversation.

So here is a small English challenge for you...

What is your favorite dish, and why do you love it?

You don't need a difficult answer. A simple, honest answer is always best.

Maybe I should make them myself

Writing this article is making me hungry.

Since enchiladas are hard to find in Japan, maybe I should try making them at home again.

I'm not sure if my enchiladas would taste like the ones I ate in California, but that's okay. I think cooking is not only about making perfect food. It is also about enjoying the process and remembering something important.

And if my family likes them, that would make me very happy, too!

Thanks for reading!

I hope you get to enjoy one of your favorite foods soon too!