Nixtamalization is the traditional Mesoamerican process of cooking and steeping dried corn in an alkaline solution—historically wood ash, now often food-grade calcium hydroxide (cal or lime)—to prepare corn for grinding into masa (corn dough)
How it works:
-
Ingredients: Dried corn kernels, water, and cal (calcium hydroxide).
-
Process: The corn is cooked in water with cal, which raises the pH to about 11–12. This alkaline environment softens the tough outer hull (pericarp), loosens the starch and protein, and helps the kernels absorb water for 10–12 hours
- Rinsing: After steeping, the hulls are rinsed off, leaving the softened kernels ready to be ground into masa
- Nutritional benefits: The alkali increases calcium content and activates niacin (vitamin B3), which raw corn locks in a form your body can’t absorb. Without nixtamalization, corn-based diets could cause pellagra
- Flavor & texture: The process also releases carotenoids, giving corn a richer yellow color and improving aroma and dough elasticity
