APACHE JUNCTION, AZ — A taste of nostalgia and a firm believer in supporting local businesses led a Tucson native to buy a tortilla company and share authentic Hermosillo, Sonora, flavors.
Today, the owner of “Benny Blanco Tortillas” shares the culinary Mexican staple - the tortilla - throughout the Valley.
“My family, generations back is from Hermosillo, and I grew up eating wonderful estilo Sonora tortillas from the tortillerías in Tucson. That's where I grew up, where I was born and raised,” said Christopher Hudson, the business owner, to ABC15. “When my wife and I went to the Gilbert Farmers Market after we moved here, we tried Ben's Tortillas and they tasted just like what I grew up with. And so, it hit me in my corazón, right, I knew I had to support this guy.”
According to Hudson, Ben Ramirez founded the company about 10 years ago and he didn’t have to completely start from scratch when he bought the company.
@abc15arizona A taste of nostalgia and a firm believer in supporting local businesses led Christopher Hudson to buy a tortilla company and share authentic Hermosillo, Sonora flavors. ABC15’s Nicole Gutierrez takes us to "Benny Blanco Tortillas!" #Tortillas #Hermosillo #Sonora #Arizona #ABC15 #HispanicHeritageMonth #ApacheJunction #ThingsToDo ♬ original sound - ABC15Arizona
“We had a spot at the Gilbert Farmers Market. We had a couple of basic recipes to work with and a little bit of equipment. And so, it was a good starting point,” said Hudson.
Now, Benny Blanco Tortillas has expanded throughout the Valley with its tortillas, its factory, and priding itself in its locally sourced ingredients.
“THE WORLD’S SECOND BEST TORTILLAS, ONLY YOUR NANA’S ARE BETTER”
Yes, you can get your estilo Sonora tortillas here- but Hudson also does “fancy tortillas.” What’s that? Well, he and his team roll out uniquely flavored tortillas.
“Every week we make something different. Sometimes we'll rotate a flavor and like the jalapeño cheddar is a fan favorite, so we'll make that one about every six weeks, but it's depending on what I can get,” shared Hudson. “There is a cheese shop that I supply out in Phoenix called Shea Cheese, and they will get specialty cheeses on occasion. They have a cottonwood reserve 18-month aged cheddar that comes out of Kansas. So, she sources her cheeses, like I source my ingredients.”
Past “flavor drops” have included:
So, how should we eat these flavored tortillas?
“The best way for all of them is just a little bit of mantequilla [butter] and a little sprinkle of salt... and that's the way to go,” explained Hudson. “I try and make everything with something in mind. So, a lot of my pepper tortillas will be really good to carne asada, or even [Pork Adobo] ... they all make a really good taco. Some of the dessert ones, they're [going to] be more of a snack.”
IF YOU GO
Benny Blanco Tortillas Storefront:
- Hours: only open on Thursdays from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- You can check out the factory during these hours and pick up freshly made tortillas at this time.
- Coming soon: Tortilla-making classes will be restarting this fall.
- Location: 189 W. Apache Trail, Unit #A109, in Apache Junction
- A full list of where to find Benny Blanco Tortillas can be found here.
