A dough made from corn flour and water, used in Mexican and Central American cooking to make tortillas, tamales, and other dishes.
From Spanish 'masa' meaning 'dough' or 'paste,' which comes from Latin 'massa' meaning 'lump' or 'mass.' The word entered English through the influence of Mexican and Latin American cuisines.
Masa is literally the foundation of Mesoamerican civilization—corn has been cultivated in Mexico for over 9,000 years, and masa made from nixtamalized corn (treated with alkaline) actually makes the corn more nutritious by releasing niacin that would otherwise be unavailable to our bodies!
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