From Kernel to Masa: Making Table Tortillas
At Masienda, cooking from kernel to masa is truly the approach that permeates all layers of our work. It’s a process that dates back millenia to the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica wherein dough (masa) is made from nixtamalized corn kernels (the hard, field corn kind), and into some of...
Chicatanas: A fleeting delicacy of Ants
Chicatana ants are one of the more obscure delicacies in Mexican cuisine, yet their unique flavor and texture are fundamental to regional salsas and moles commonly eaten throughout Oaxaca's diverse coastal areas, central valleys and mountains. They’re known to impart a crunchy, earthy, smoky flavor to whatever dish they’re...
Recipe: Agua de Jamaica with Heirloom Hibiscus
Hibiscus, or jamaica, is a flower with a wide range of culinary uses - from steeping it into a tea to cooking it into your favorite sweet or savory dishes - you can go wild experimenting with this delicate and versatile flower. Our whole-flower hibiscus comes from the same farmers...
Recipe: How to Make a 50/50 Corn and Wheat Tortilla
One might assume that we here at Masienda aren't much for flour tortillas. We are a corn masa company, after all, and we live in a polarized world and even more divided times. Why should the makeup of our tortilla allegiance be any different? Well, the truth is that we've always...
A Guide to Masa Harina
Masa harina is an ingredient often cited in recipes and referenced casually in conversation and comments as the trick to making the BEST tortillas with little to no effort. That said, its utility extends well beyond the tortilla. Masa harina will have you on your way to homemade tamales,...
Masa Shapes: Totopos (Tortilla Chips)
In our humble opinion, totopos, aka tortilla chips, are one of the simplest masa recipes to produce with arguably the highest return on investment. They've got all the right stuff--crunch, fat, salt, scoopability. We owe it to ourselves to take 5 minutes to prepare our own, sooner than later. In...
The World’s Best Tortilla Press
Deep in the labyrinthine heart of Oaxaca’s Central de Abastos, Doña Rosa has been selling quality-made tortilla presses to locals for longer than she can recall. Unlike other presses you may have encountered on display in a restaurant or for sale at an artisan market or shop, a Doña...
How to make masa using a food processor
It's time to set the record straight, friends: food processors absolutely work for turning nixtamal into masa. This has always been the case. It's just that we (here at Masienda) weren't as keen as we are now on promoting them to get the job done. You weren't? How come? Having served and...
Masa Shapes: Huarache
Once upon a time, I routinely struggled to summon enough effort to put a meal together on Monday evenings. Most often, I'd simply get out of work too late to justify a full-blown culinary production. This would inevitably lead to some combination of dry corn flakes, scrambled eggs and/or...
Heirloom Corn FAQ
What does heirloom mean? An heirloom is something of value that has been passed down across multiple generations. In this case, heirloom corn comes from farmer-preserved seeds that have been hand selected for the best flavor and maintained for hundreds (even thousands) of years. Each generation does its own part...
Masa Shapes: Pozole
I don't know about you, but we here at Masienda HQ have been waking up to some mighty chilly days. OK, OK, chilly for Los Angeles! Though winter doesn't officially start for a few more weeks, we're deep in pozole mode right now, nonetheless. Pozole is both a comforting dish and one...
Masa Shapes: Champurrado
When temperatures drop, we’re more than ready to swap our typical agua fresca (made with heirloom hibiscus of course) for a drink that’s slightly more decadent, warming, and, well, seasonal. Cue the champurrado. Champurrado is enjoyed year-round for breakfast throughout Mexico, specifically Oaxaca, including special occasions like Dia de los...
