 The Nahuatl word for enchilada is "chīllapītzalli" , which is formed of the Nahuatl word for "chili", "chīlli" and the Nahuatl word for "flute", "tlapītzalli" .In the 19th century, as Mexican cuisine was being memorialized, enchiladas were mentioned in the first Mexican cookbook, "El cocinero mexicano" (""The Mexican Chef""), published in 1831, and in Mariano Galvan Rivera's "Diccionario de Cocina", published in 1845.Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy cites an early reference from an American traveler from 1883 who remarked, "Enchiladas, a greasy tortilla sandwich containing chiles and a number of other uninviting looking compounds and other nasty messes, are sold everywhere, filling the air with a pungent, nauseous smell."