Masa

There are two types of masa that you can typically find made at Latino markets. The first and most common one will be masa for tortillas, which is an evenly ground fine masa that will work for most recipes such as tortillas, memelas, molotes, chochoyotes, and quesadillas. The second type is masa for tamales, which is a rougher grind and perfect for tamales called masa quebrajada or masa quebrada. This masa will usually be prepared with lard or vegetable shortening and seasonings, so you can just spackle it onto corn husks or banana leaves as is. I will say one thing: There is nothing like making your masa from scratch. The texture and flavor are unlike any other. Think of it as handmade pasta dough versus store-bought pasta dough. Because it forms the foundation of so many simple dishes in this cookbook, you should stay away from low-quality shortcuts such as Maseca. It’s just not the same. The only instant masa mix that we are willing to endorse as a quick alternative to freshly nixtamalized masa is Bob’s Red Mill Organic Masa Harina.