Sope is a Mexican snack made from fried cornmeal dough, topped with various ingredients such as chicken, refried beans, salsa, and roasted meats. The dough is pinched to create a raised edge and can also be made sweet. It is sold as street food and is popular in Mexican cuisine.
Sope is a term that refers to both a type of Mexican fried bread and a dish that uses the bread as a base for different toppings, constituting a snack or street food. The basic sope – made from cornmeal, water and sometimes baking soda and formed into a small circle of dough – is fried in oil. The outer edge of the finished sope is then pinched to create a rim which is used to keep the ingredients on top. There are numerous toppings that can be used, although chicken and refried beans are popular, as are salsa and roasted meats such as carne asada.
The sope bread version, which is not unlike a thick tortilla, is made from masa. Masa is essentially ground cornmeal mixed with a little lime juice, and is used extensively in Mexican cooking. The masa is mixed with hot water and occasionally baking soda. The flour is kneaded and formed into small balls. The spheres are flattened and pressed into large, flat discs.
A heated frying pan is filled with a shallow layer of oil and the sope dough is placed inside. The dough browns on both sides, but isn’t cooked long enough to fully set the dough in the center. This gives the bread a heavy feel and springy texture that can be folded without breaking. As soon as the dough has finished frying, the edges are pinched while still hot to form the distinctive raised edge on the bread.
Different sope toppings can vary from city to city in Mexico. They can be simple, like shredded chicken. Toppings can also include traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex ingredients such as tomatoes, ground beef, refried beans, and hot peppers. The sturdy structure of the bread allows it to be covered in some very liquid condiments, such as wet sauces, hot pepper sauces, or even the barbecue sauces used to accompany some meats.
Slow-roasted, prepared meats such as carne asada can be placed on top of the bread along with roasted peppers and onions before being doused with queso fresco for a rich flavor. The dough can also be made into a sweet base by adding sugar before baking and then topping the finished sope with cinnamon or sweet syrup and fruit. Sope is usually no larger than the palm of your hand and is often sold as a snack from street vendors or small roadside stalls.
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