Corn is the ancient engine that drives Latin American gastronomy. And masa harina, a flour made from nixtamalized corn that was invented in the 1950s, has become a reigning household item because of its accessibility and convenience. While fresh masa keeps only a few days and should be frozen for any longer storage, masa harina is shelf-stable and simply needs to be rehydrated with liquid before use. In Mexico, masa harina is used for everyday meals, in myriad shapes and with varying fillings, such as tostadas, tamales, tacos, tlacoyos, tlayudas—the list goes on. In Venezuela, arepas—the national dish—can also be made with masa harina, shaped into griddled patties for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Cooks in Puerto Rico have their own uses, making bite-size surullitos arepas, guanimes (similar to tamales), and funche.
Foods made of masa thread together so many countries and cultures in Latin America, each with our own star dishes that pull families and friends to the table. However, now that masa harina is so prominent in the home kitchen, its uses extend well beyond the classics.
Masa harina boasts an incredible nutty, buttery aroma, and its subtle flavor makes it the perfect background for a host of flavors. It’s similar to corn flour, with the important distinction that corn flour isn’t usually nixtamalized. For corn flour, the hull, or pericarp, of the kernel is typically removed by grinding everything finely down to a powder. Home cooks sometimes use corn flour and masa harina interchangeably, but they can yield different results. Nixtamal, an ancient alkalizing process, is imperative for a perfect tortilla; without it, the cooked dough won’t have the necessary pliability that you need.
Nixtamalization also yields a bounty of nutritional benefits. Masa harina is high in calcium, vitamin B3, and protein. Alone, it’s quite dense, which is what makes it perfect for flattening into a thin tortilla. But even in recipes that stray from the traditional antojitos and entrées, it’s a handy helper and definitely worth having stocked in your kitchen. Whether you’re looking to add flavor and richness to a stew, to boost breads or pancakes, or to use as a dredge for the perfect crisp, masa harina shines.
Bake buttery breads
Chef Lety Gonzales, previously executive chef at WestBrew in San Diego, California, says she has a molecular appreciation for this precious ingredient: corn, she notes, is ancestral to her Mexican roots, and because of that, it finds its way into a wide variety of her dishes.
She adds masa harina to biscuits—equal parts masa harina and all-purpose wheat flour—and uses a little extra masa harina to dust into the layers of the dough. She cuts the biscuits thick before popping them into the oven and says the taste is incredible: “The flavor is like a buttered tortilla,” she explains. “It’s beautiful the way the corn flavor comes through.” At WestBrew, she served them for brunch with crab, a poached egg, arugula tossed in a chocolate chili oil, and a poblano tatemado hollandaise sauce.
