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Making the perfect tortilla

At this LA-based tortilleria, there’s only one way to make a tortilla: with organic corn.

Rick Ortega, left, and Omar Ahmed are the owners of Kernel of Truth Organics.
Rick Ortega, left, and Omar Ahmed are the owners of Kernel of Truth Organics.
Steven Byeon/Marketplace

Many people might think that what makes a taco great is the meat, chicken, or whatever is inside. But Rick Ortega and Omar Ahmed tend to disagree; they’re champions of the soft tortilla, made with corn.

 
The certified organic corn.
Steven Byeon/Marketplace

Ortega and Ahmed are the founders of Kernel of Truth Organics, a tortilleria — a company that makes and sells tortillas — in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights.

 
A stack of fresh tortillas.
Steven Byeon/Marketplace

The pair say they’re focused on quality rather than quantity. Since 2014, Kernel of Truth Organics is the only known tortilleria in Los Angeles making tortillas from certified organic corn. 

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