Masa or masa de maíz (English: /ˈmɑːsə/; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmasa]) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, gorditas, tamales, pupusas, and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into a flour form called masa harina.
Did you get it?
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Are you hungry yet? Ask a friend or family member to help you check out the following activities:
- Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to the grocery store. Find the aisle with Mexican foods and look for masa harina. What other ingredients and types of flour can you find? If youre up for a challenge, buy some masa harina to make your own homemade Mexican dishes.
- Is there a Mexican restaurant nearby? Take a trip for lunch one day and ask the manager if you could get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cooks in action. Can you see the masa they cook with up close? Does it look like you expected it to? How many different ways do they use the masa? If possible, pick a couple of your favorite Mexican dishes that have masa to try!
- Pick out a recipe or two to try at home with your friends and family members. Be sure to check the list of ingredients, as youll probably need to go to the store first to get a few items: + Corn Tortillas + Real Homemade Tamales + Basic Masa Dough + Pupusas
Have You Ever Wondered…
- What is masa?
- Can you substitute corn meal or regular corn flour in a recipe that calls for masa?
- What can you make with masa?
Do you love Mexican food? We do! Burritos, tacos, tortillas, tamales, enchiladas…our list of favorites goes on and on!
If youve ever made any homemade Mexican recipes, you may have noticed one ingredient that tends to show up quite often. What are we talking about? Masa, of course!
Masa — sometimes called corn masa flour or masa harina — is a traditional type of flour used to make tamales, tortillas, and many other Mexican favorites. Masa harina means “dough flour” in Spanish, because its made from dried masa.
To make masa, field corn is first dried and then soaked and cooked in a solution of lime and water (called slaked lime). This scientific process is called nixtamalization.
The slaked lime loosens the hulls from the kernels of corn and softens the corn. It also reacts with the corn to make it easier to digest.
After it has been soaked and cooked in slaked lime, the corn is then washed and ground into a dough thats then called masa. When fresh masa is dried and powdered, it becomes the corn masa flour or masa harina you can buy in stores.
Some Mexican markets will sell fresh masa by the pound. Powdered corn masa flour or masa harina is a fine substitute, though, if you cant find fresh masa. These powdered versions just need water added to turn them into dough to make your favorite Mexican dishes.
If a recipe calls for masa, dont substitute corn meal or regular corn flour. These other products are made from different types of corn and processed differently. If you use them in a recipe that calls for masa, you wont end up with the result you expect! For example, regular corn meal made from untreated ground corn will not form dough simply by adding water.
Masa is gluten-free and nutritious. In addition to being low in fat, its also cholesterol-free and a good source of calcium. Although its popular in Mexican cuisine, masa has a wide variety of uses in many other types of foods.
We’d like to thank:
Carol and Sydney for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!
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STOP Before You Make Tamales, WATCH This Video so YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST MASA, Perfect EVERY TIME!
FAQ
What is the Mexican ingredient masa?
Is masa just cornmeal?
Is masa healthier than flour?
Is masa the same as corn flour?
What is the difference between masa harina and Masa?
The difference between masa harina and masa is simple: Masa is what you get when you mix masa harina with water. It is a corn dough that is used to make a number of foods that are essential to Mexican cuisine, including tortillas and tamales . Both cornmeal and corn flour are made from milled, dried corn.
Is masa harina a flour?
Masa harina is a fine ground flour made from dried nixtamal and is great for making corn tortillas and other “pastry type” doughs. It’s only resemblance to fresh masa is that it is made from nixtamal. Masa harina should be treated as a “flour.”
How is masa harina made?
It’s made from hominy, corn treated with an alkaline solution that includes lime to remove the hull and germ. That process is called nixtamalization. The hominy is then ground into a fine powder to make masa harina.
What is masa harina used for?
Masa harina is used for making Mexican and southwestern dishes such as breads, tamales and tortillas. “Masa harina was developed in the 1950’s by taking masa of freshly ground corn and dehydrating it to create a flour that could be reconstituted with water and form masa ready for tortillas,” Sibley explains.