 A similar bread from South America, called "arepa" (though "arepas" are made with ground maize, not hominy, and are typically much thicker than tortillas), predates the arrival of Europeans to America, and was called "tortilla" by the Spanish from its resemblance to the traditional Spanish round, unleavened cakes and omelettes (originally made without potatoes, which are native to South America).The Aztecs and other Nahuatl-speakers call tortillas tlaxcalli (); these have become the prototypical tortillas.Maize kernels naturally occur in many colors, depending on the cultivar