Masa facts for kids
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| Type | Dough |
|---|---|
| Associated national cuisine | Mexican |
| Main ingredients | Hominy |
Masa (pronounced MAH-sah) is a special kind of dough made from corn. It's super important in many dishes from places like Mexico and Central America. You might know it from yummy foods like corn tortillas, gorditas, tamales, and pupusas.
This dough is made from corn that has been treated in a special way. When masa is dried and ground into a powder, it's called masa harina. This means "dough flour" in Spanish. You can turn masa harina back into dough by just adding water!
Contents
How Masa is Made
Making masa involves a cool process called nixtamalization. Here's how it works:
- First, dry corn kernels are cooked. They soak in a mix of water and a special ingredient called slaked lime. Slaked lime is a type of calcium.
- The corn then soaks for many hours. This soaking helps soften the corn and loosen its outer skin.
- After soaking, the corn is rinsed very well. This washes away the lime taste.
- This special treated corn is now called hominy.
- Finally, the hominy is ground into a dough. This fresh dough is what we call fresh masa.
From Fresh Masa to Masa Harina
Fresh masa can be used right away to make delicious foods. But it can also be dried out and ground into a fine powder. This powder is masa harina, or masa flour. It's easy to store and use later. Just add water to make fresh masa again!
Why Nixtamalization is Important
The slaked lime used in nixtamalization is very helpful. It makes the corn softer and easier to grind. It also helps your body get important nutrients from the corn. For example, it helps you absorb niacin, which is a type of vitamin B. Without this process, corn isn't as nutritious, and eating a lot of untreated corn can even lead to a health problem called pellagra.
Other Ways to Use Masa
The ground corn product, sometimes called masa nixtamalera, is used in more than just dough.
- In Central America and Mexico, masa nixtamalera is cooked with water and milk to make a thick, warm drink called atole.
- If you add chocolate and sugar to atole, it becomes atole de chocolate.
- Another popular breakfast drink is champurrado. It's made by adding anise and piloncillo (a type of brown sugar) to the atole mixture.
See also
In Spanish: Masa de maíz para niños
