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Masa

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Tortilla
Also known as: Masa de maíz, Masa nixtamalizada

Masa is the soft dough of ground nixtamalized maize used to make tortillas, tamales and most Mexican antojitos. Fresh masa is ground from cooked, alkali-treated kernels; dried and powdered, it becomes masa harina.

Contents
  1. Preparation
  2. Character
  3. Uses
  4. Recipe
  5. Reviews
  6. See also
  7. References

Preparation

Maize is first nixtamalized: the dry kernels are brought to a boil with water and lime and left to steep, usually overnight, then rinsed and ground. Larousse defines the result as a soft, malleable mixture of ground corn, water and lime, sometimes enriched with herbs, flowers or chile, and occasionally with wheat flour.

Character

How thoroughly the nixtamal is rinsed changes the dough. Larousse notes that heavily washed maize gives a whiter but more fragile masa that sours quickly, while leaving some lime in the grain helps it keep; this is one reason tortillería masa tends to be yellow and sturdy. Some cooks add more lime at the mill. Fresh masa is perishable, which is why it is usually bought daily from a molino or tortillería.

Uses

Masa is pressed into tortillas, enriched with lard for tamales and tostadas de manteca, and shaped into the many thick antojitos of central Mexico. Commercial corn flour, rehydrated with water, is a widespread substitute; Larousse notes it loses fewer nutrients in processing but many Mexicans prefer the taste of fresh nixtamal.

Recipe

Makes About 1.5 kg masa · Time: Overnight soak; 1 hour active

Ingredients

  • 1 kg dried field corn (dent or flint, not sweet corn)
  • 15 g food-grade calcium hydroxide (cal)
  • 3 liters water
  • Salt to taste

Steps

  1. Rinse the corn. Dissolve the cal in the water in a large nonreactive pot, add the corn and bring to a boil.
  2. Simmer 5 to 15 minutes until the skins loosen when rubbed, then remove from the heat, cover and leave overnight.
  3. Drain the corn, discard the nejayote and rinse, rubbing the kernels lightly to remove some of the skins.
  4. Grind the nixtamal in a molino, a metate or in small batches in a powerful food processor, adding water a little at a time until it forms a smooth dough.
  5. Knead in salt and adjust the moisture so a pressed ball does not crack at the edges.

Store fresh masa covered in the refrigerator and use within a day or two; it sours quickly.

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Masa". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Nixtamalización". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Tortilla". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Doughs Maize dishes Tortillas Tortillas and masa