Maseca Masa Harina Corn Flour, 1kg

Maseca Harina de Maíz is a fine, pre-cooked corn flour made from nixtamalised white maize. It's the essential ingredient for making corn tortillas, tamales and other Mexican staples at home. Maseca is made in Mexico by Gruma, founded in Nuevo León in 1949, and you'll find it in kitchens right across the country. Nixtamalisation means the corn is soaked and cooked in limewater before it's dried and milled. This gives masa its gently earthy, toasted-corn flavour and lets the dough hold together without any wheat.

Mix it with warm water and a pinch of salt, and within minutes you have a soft dough ready to press into tortillas. Cook them in a dry, hot pan until they puff and blister, then fill them with slow-cooked pork, black beans and a sharp salsa verde. Pressed a little thicker, the same dough makes sopes - crisp-edged rounds topped with refried beans and crumbled cheese. A spoonful stirred into a pot of chilli thickens it and adds a subtle sweetness.

Why we love it:

• Nixtamalised corn gives tortillas their proper flavour and pliable texture, which ordinary maize flour can't
  
• No yeast, proving or long resting - you can go from bag to dough in five minutes
  
• The fine, even grind makes a smooth dough that presses cleanly without cracking at the edges
  
• Naturally gluten-free, so homemade corn tortillas are an option for anyone avoiding wheat
  
• Useful well beyond tortillas, for tamales, sopes, pupusas and thickening stews

How to use:

• For 12 small tortillas, mix 250g Maseca with around 350ml warm water and a pinch of salt. Knead for around 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough - you'll know it's ready when the dough stops sticking to your hand. Cover and rest for 10 minutes
• Roll into 12 balls and press each one to 15cm between two sheets of plastic. Cook in a dry, hot pan for 45-60 seconds a side, then flip once more for 15 seconds until it puffs
• Stack the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer or a clean tea towel, so the steam finishes softening them
  
• To thicken chilli, soups or stews, whisk 1-2 tbsp with a little water and stir in for the last 10 minutes of cooking

More information:

• Maseca is made by Gruma, which has been producing nixtamalised corn flour in Mexico since 1949
  
• 1kg bag makes around 48 small 15cm tortillas
  
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Naturally gluten-free [confirm against pack]
  
• Store in a cool, dry place, sealed well once opened
  
• Allergens: none
  
• Ingredients: White maize nixtamalised, anticaking agent (E529), iron, zinc, vitamin B3, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, folic acid.