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Why does maize become masa only after more than grinding?

Turning maize into masa involves a transformation before the milling stage. In nixtamalization, maize is cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution, then rinsed and ground. The treatment changes the grain, connecting the texture of a familiar food with a distinctive processing method.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • What happens before milling that milling alone would not do?

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  • CIMMYTWhat is nixtamalization?

    CIMMYT describes the stages of nixtamalization and how the treatment changes maize. This is an overview, not a home-processing recipe.

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