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...
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,...
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...
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...
Comal Care: A seasoning guide to Made In x Masienda Comal
What's up with seasoning? Seasoning is the process of treating the surface of Comal with a non-stick coating formed from polymerized oil, which fill the small pores of its surface. A healthy layer of seasoning, also known as patina, will protect your Comal from rust and create a one-of-a-kind non-stick...
Masa Feature : Heirloom Blue Masa Harina (the wait is finally over!)
Have you ever tried to perfect something for months, maybe even years, but you could never get it just right? And then, when you finally did, you had a complete eureka (!) moment and you couldn’t be more excited about sharing it with others? That is exactly how we feel...
How corn kernel structure affects masa
Do these blue kernels look the same to you? What about taste? If you had to guess--just by looks--would you say they cooked and tasted the same? (Hint: nope!) This varietal juxtaposition is a humbling reminder to us of just how much nuance there is to even the simplest-seeming of ingredients....
Masa Feature : Bolita Belatove with Justin Crawford
We're joined this week by our friend, Justin Crawford, a return contributor to our Masa Feature column. Justin is an avid home cook who, pre-pandemic, helmed the bar program at San Francisco's famed Nopa restaurant. Justin and I separately tackled Masienda's bolita belatove for tlacoyos and tortillas, respectively. As always,...
Masa Feature : Pozole with Chef Sarah Thompson (Elio & Cosme)
Pozole is a celebratory dish. And while its highest holiday associations may indeed be New Year's Eve, Christmas or Mexican Independence Day--all Winter and Fall holidays to be sure--it nevertheless felt fitting to channel a celebration, in honor of our next guest. Chef Sarah Thompson is a consummate badass. Since...
Masa Feature : Corn-tine tamales with Mira Evnine
I don't love tamales. There, I said it. Yes, I recognize the irony, and, no, it's not you--or your tamal--it's me. You're both great, really. It's a texture thing. And, as far as texture is concerned, there are two more widely-known (though, to be sure, certainly not the only two) masa genres...
Masa Feature : Red Cónico (Estado de México)
Welcome back to another installment of Masa Feature, friends! We're back at it with fellow masaphile and puff commander, Justin Crawford (@ipecacfoods). In case you missed it, Justin is a home cook performing masa miracles using a hand-cranked mill (that’s right, no Molinito required). This week, we remotely tag-teamed red...
