Masa is a dough made from ground nixtamalized maize (corn). The process of nixtamalization involves cooking dried field corn in an alkaline solution, usually slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or wood ash, then soaking it for several hours. This treatment loosens the hulls from the kernels, softens the corn, and enhances its nutritional value by making niacin more absorbable. After soaking, the corn is rinsed and ground into a dough called masa, which is used to make traditional Latin American foods such as corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, gorditas, and more
. Masa can also be dried and ground into a powder known as masa harina ("dough flour" in Spanish). Masa harina can be reconstituted with water to make fresh masa dough for cooking
. Unlike regular cornmeal, masa is made from nixtamalized corn, which gives it a distinctive flavor and allows it to form a dough when mixed with water, a property untreated cornmeal lacks
. In summary, masa is a traditional corn dough essential to many Mexican and Latin American dishes, made through a special alkaline cooking and soaking process that improves flavor, texture, and nutrition
