Nixtamal Starter Kit
Nixtamal Starter Kit
Nixtamal Starter Kit
Nixtamal Starter Kit
This kit includes everything you need to fall down the masa-making rabbit hole—just bring the elbow grease. Start nixtamalizing corn at home with 4 x 2.2 lb bags of heirloom corn and an 8 oz bag of cal. Add on a Victoria masa hand mill and a copy of MASA: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple by Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria, the perfect guide for your kernel-to-masa journey.

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Details+
Our Nixtamal Starter Kit comes with 4 of our favorite corn varietals: Blue Cónico (EDMX), Xocoyul Rosado (Tlaxcala), Yellow Bolita (Oaxaca), and White Olotillo (Oaxaca) as well as calcium hydroxide for culinary usage. Substitutions are not available.
Usage+
If you’re diving into masa making for the first time, we recommend heading to our 'From Kernel to Masa' playlist on YouTube. It's a great sidekick to the comprehensive, step-by-step guide you'll find in the book MASA, written by founder Jorge Gaviria.

The Golden Ratio

It’s no secret that cal (calcium hydroxide or slaked lime) is an important ingredient in your nixtamal. Our tried-and-true ratio involves measuring out 1% cal to the weight of corn. You’ve hit the Goldilocks ratio for excellent masa when, as the corn’s pH rises, its color brightens (a sign that the alkali is going to work), and the delicious aroma of fresh tortillas, tamales, and even ramen (i.e., “alkaline noodles”), begins to fill the room. Once you’ve dialed in the proper ratio of cal to corn, the ratio of corn to cooking water is a little more forgiving — think cooking pasta, where you want to make sure there’s enough water to move around and expand, as opposed to rice.

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