El Cielo (The Heaven) was established in 2012, after three Mexican friends (Javier, Cesar and Paola), passionate about their food and culture, could not find authentic ingredients to prepare the beloved dishes they missed from back home. A dream was born while listening to Cielito Lindo!
El Cielo became the first authentic Mexican tortilleria in Melbourne.
Our founders are true foodies that grew up in Mexico City and made Australia their new home since the early 2000s. Growing up in Mexico they were embraced by one of the most amazing cuisines the world knows. Mexican cuisine was declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Their passion for the cuisine they love so much is at the center of our philosophy as a company. We offer authentic Mexican nixtamalized tortillas, corn chips and tostaditas, made the same way that has been done for milenia, since the times of the Aztec Civilisation, bringing to Australia without a doubt the True Taste of Mexico.
The True Taste of Mexico is at the center of who we are, what we do and what we offer, the best Mexican tortillas and corn chips in Australia. Mexican cuisine is known for the variety of its amazing flavors and spices. It is the result of the Spanish conquistadores’ interaction with the Aztecs in the 16th century. Most of the Mexican food we know and eat today is a delicious combination of a few ancient culinary traditions, Aztec, Mayan, Spanish and the French. Mexican food is very diverse, you can find differences -and fusions- between the various provinces from the north to the south and from the coasts to the mountains. There is a great variety of cultures within Mexico that has evolved over hundreds of years providing an amazing array of flavors, textures, colors and aromas
At El Cielo we produce authentic Mexican nixtamalized tortillas, corn chips and tostaditas locally in Melbourne, our Australian corn is sourced directly from the farmers in NSW, as a result we won the Paddock to Plate Award in 2017 by the Food & Beverage Industry. It is not just the best Mexican nixtamalized tortillas though that we offer. We have partnered with quality suppliers in Mexico that complement our core products that we produce in Melbourne, so we can offer you the whole range of Mexican food and gourmet ingredients in Australia. The range of products includes beans, jalapenos, gourmet sauces, dry chillies and much more. The majority of these products have a very short and basic ingredients list, something that is paramount to us.
We supply Mexican food to restaurants in Melbourne and around Australia and we deliver directly to the consumer either through our e-shop and a selection of retail stockists.
This is a relatively new concept for our market. Nixtamalization is a process for the preparation of corn, in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution. Nixtamal is a process discovered thousands of years ago in the south of Mexico and Central America, Nixtamalized corn has several benefits, it is more easily ground, its nutritional value is increased and ultimately flavor and aroma are improved.
In essence, our corn is boiled and soaked in an alkaline solution and then stone-grind it to create our masa (dough). This creates delicious corn dough, which we use to make our tortillas, corn chips and tostaditas; as with any type of bread, wholegrain is how you can ensure to get all its rich nutrients. Our white corn tortillas, corn chips and tostaditas are not just wholegrain but also gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.
