Organic Masa Harina, tortila flour, yellow corn

General Information

Botanical Name: Zea Mays

Certified organic

Origin: USA

Masa, the Spanish word for “dough,” is the traditional dough used to make corn tortillas. It is made with hominy, or dried corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in lime (calcium hydroxide) water, which are then ground into masa. Masa harina is flour made from the cooked, dried masa. Macadamias are originally from Australia and are some of the most sought-after nuts in the world. Introduced in Hawaii in 1881 and soon afterward in Africa, California, and Florida, Hawaii is now the world’s largest exporter.

Production

Field corn (maize) grain is dried and then treated by soaking and cooking the mature (hard) grain in a diluted solution of lime (calcium hydroxide) or wood ash, a process termed nixtamalization developed in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago. Lime and ash are highly alkaline which help the dissolution of hemicellulose (a glue-like component of the maize cell walls), loosens the hulls from the kernels, and softens the corn for grinding.

Qualities:

This process also changes the structure of the corn, freeing the nutritionally rich niacin so that it can be easily absorbed into the digestive tract. In addition, calcium is gained from the lime used as an alkali. The nixtamalization process also balances the amino acids, accessing more usable protein from the corn.

Common Use

Masa harina is most commonly used to make tortillas, but it is also featured in other delicious
dishes including tamales, pupusas, and arepas.