OFF THE SHELF
Masa harina is ready to use for Latin corn cakes

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Most of the commercially available masa harina is labeled "instant." Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Masa means "dough" in Spanish and masa harina means "dough flour."

Masa harina is unlike cornmeal in that it's ground from a cooked corn mixture. Whole corn kernels are dried in the sun or roasted, then cooked in limewater (water mixed with calcium oxide) and soaked overnight in the lime. From the resulting paste, the masa harina is ground. At one time, the cook had to take care of this whole process, but now, pretty much all the commercially available masa is labeled "instant" because it's ready to be used for making corn cakes.

Corn tortillas are a simple combination of masa harina and water — nothing else; the skill is in knowing when the dough is the right texture, and how to pat the dough into flat cakes. The usual ratio is 2 cups of masa harina to 1 generous cup of water, quickly blended by hand; a few drops more water may be needed, depending on the moisture content of the masa and the humidity. The dough should form a firm ball that sticks together.

This masa is portioned out into 16 small rounds and stored in a bowl covered with a damp towel while the tortillas are formed. You can do this by hand, with a rolling pin (place dough between two sheets of waxed paper) or in a tortilla press (available at store that stock Latin foods or from specialty kitchen stores). Place the formed tortillas in a stack with waxed paper in between and cook on a hot, ungreased griddle, half a minute a side, until the tortillas are fragrant and a few golden-brown spots appear. Tortillas may then be fried in 350-degree oil to make chips or shells for tostadas or tacos.