Masa vs. Masa Harina

According to Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria, masa harina, the powdered basis for tortillas and tamales, was invented at the turn of the twentieth century when Texas-based José Bartolome Martinez “tinkered with intentionally dehydrating freshly milled masa [in order to create something that] could be safely held for months before use” and rehydrated with water as needed. This was a game changer for Mexican women who faced the time-consuming task of preparing nixtamal (limed kernels) each night and grinding fresh masa daily (the first refrigerator for home use was not invented until 1913).