Masa harina - milled from corn kernels

Masa harina is sometimes called corn dough or masa flour, and because it is made of corn, this flour is gluten-free. Though masa harina is made from ground corn, it is not the same as cornmeal and the two products are not good substitutes for each other. Masa harina cooks up softer, absorbs a lot of fat during its cooking, and holds together better in tortillas.

Masa and masa harina are foundational components of traditional Mexican and Latin American food. Masa refers to the prepared dough made from masa harina, a flour made from nixtamalized corn.

Masa is prepared in the traditional manner beginning with soaking the corn with lime (nixtamalization process) to deliver incredible flavor and texture. Because it is super finely ground, it is easy to work with when preparing tortillas, tamales, and pupusas.

In general, the nixtamalization is a process for the preparation of corn, or other grain, in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually lime water. Nixtamal is the product obtained after this process, and it is subsequently ground to produce soft dough named masa.

The nixtamalization process (soaking in lime water) was developed in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago. Partial starch gelatinization, partial lipid saponification, solubilization of some proteins surrounding the starch granules and the conversion of the cell wall hemicellulose components into soluble gums all strongly influence the rheological and textural properties of the final products

Nixtamalization process also changes the structure of the corn, freeing the nutritionally rich niacin so that it can be easily absorbed into the digestive track. In addition, calcium is gained from the lime used as an alkali. 

Masa harina - milled from corn kernels