Other Names Masa de Harina Description Masa Harina literally means dough flour in Spanish and in Mexican cuisine, it refers to flour made from maize that has been soaked in lime water (calcium hydroxide). It is not the same thing as cornmeal and cannot be used interchangeably. The process of soaking the maize in lime …
Other Names
Masa de Harina.
Description
Masa Harina literally means dough flour in Spanish and in Mexican cuisine, it refers to flour made from maize that has been soaked in lime water (calcium hydroxide). It is not the same thing as cornmeal and cannot be used interchangeably. The process of soaking the maize in lime water softens the kernels changing the texture so that the finished dough is more elastic and workable. After the maize is soaked, it’s ground then used fresh as masa, or dried to make masa harina.
In the photo above you can see the fine almost white powder on the right with the dough it forms on the left. In the back is a bag of Maseca brand Masa Harina.
What’s it taste like?
It has a nutty slightly minerally flavour that unsurprisingly tastes like corn.
Where do I get it?
Grocery stores in North America that have a Latin American food section should carry it. Otherwise go to a Latin American specialty food store. It typically comes in bags that look like a bag of flour. Personally I like the Maseca brand.
When is it best?
There’s no season, but if you are able to find fresh masa, which looks more like a dough, the flavour and texture are better than rehydrating dried masa harina.
How do I use it?
Masa harina can be worked into a dough by adding water then allowing it to rest for about an hour to fully rehydrate. This dough can then be pressed into corn tortillas which can be “baked” on a hot cast iron skillet. These tortilla’s can then be used to make tacos or enchiladas or just served along side a stew. If they are cut and deep fried you will have tortilla chips. Masa harina can also be used to make tamales, although there is a special kind for tamales (para tamales) that has a more course grind than the kind for tortillas.
Nutrition
The lime water used to treat the maize adds calcium and releases niacin from the niacytin which greatly increases the nutritional value of the corn.
Marc Matsumoto says
You could probably make a corn flavored flour tortilla by mixing fine cornmeal with flour, but you won’t get the light fluffy texture of a good corn tortilla. I would not use coarse cornmeal because it will make it gritty.
jimbodc1 says
Please can someone tell me where I can buy corn masa? I live near Cebu City Philippines.
Marc Matsumoto says
Not sure if they deliver to the Philippines, but Amazon has it on their US site. I can’t buy it in Japan, so I usually stock up and take it home with me when I’m in the US.
jimbodc1 says
Thanks Marc, I will check out amazon, I will be going back to the states in Nov, I had already planed to bring back some then. I am sure there must be an outlet for it here, just haven’t found it yet. Do you have a face book page?
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, you can click the “follow” menu at the top of the page which has links to all my social media pages.
Jenny Jordan says
Hey there I am in Ireland, does anyone know where you can get this flour? I love Mexican food, and would love to make my own stuff 🙂 thank you
Anne says
Can you get this Masa Harina flour in South Africa
rafterysean says
https://www.mymexicanshop.ie/
Charles Bewlay says
I saw this somewhere – Try El Burro in greenpoint for Massa Harina and good Mexican food. I guess that is in Cape Town? Let me know if you find any – want some in Botswana.