Hello masa-friends,
I’m back from a brief trip to Jalisco and Nayarit, having spent a few days with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and meeting my niece for the first time. Isabella, my niece, is a very talkative and skeptical two year-old. Despite pretending to talk to me, “Tío” on the phone almost everyday, when we finally met, she was not impressed. She constantly rolled her eyes every time I spoke, she ignored me and, overall, seemed to be miserable around me. Eventually, on day 4, she warmed up to me and we played with some Paw Patrol toys. I also think that wearing a tiny orange bucket hat and safety glasses helped the situation— absurdity is my M.O.
To be fair, I have a similar attitude towards strangers. Usually, my initial response is to be completely apathetic towards them and require consistency to be won over. Making me laugh always helps.
We have some fun pop-ups coming up. We are phasing out of the farmer’s market and wholesale, for my sanity. We are focusing on private dinners and pop-ups where I can cook for you, again, for my sanity. After the “Pop-Up / Market Dates,” I have a brief description of how we make nixtamal. I have a had a few questions about how much cal and salt we use, and about the process in general. If you want to nerd out, continue reading after the deets below.
email events@theledeoakland for reservations for parties of 4 or more. Otherwise, First come first served. See you on Saturday!!
M E N U
Beef Tartare masa crackers, salsa negra, cucumber, burnt eggplant, cotija, herbs
Tostada Halibut crudo, stone fruit Xnipec, avocado, scallion aioli
Pellizcada de Verano roasted summer squash, Jimmy nardellos, squash blossom, eggplant mole negro, purslane, Mishmish Souq vegan labneh (vegan, Pellizcado is like a thinner, crispier sope)
Pozole de Mariscos tomatillo, local seafood, hominy, charred jalapenos and onions
Hongos - roasted king trumpets, hoja santa, corn and peppers
Tomate early girl tomato confit, shelling bean salad, fermented chile aioli, herbs
™Choco-Taco™ - cinnamon and cacao masa taco, spiced chocolate mousse, whipped cream, stone fruit “salsa”
Pop-Up / Market Dates
SAT 8/20 - POP-UP Dinner, OAKLAND. The Lede (301 41st Street) 4:30pm- 8pm.
The last 2 pop-ups have been nuts, so we are offering reservations for parties of 4 or more. Otherwise, it’s first come first served, but I will make so much food!! I want to serve you all until 8pm! Come by, tell a friend. Make a Reservation by email events@theledeoakland.com
THU 8/25 - San Francisco Foodwise Mission Market 3:00pm-7:00pm
SUN 8/28 - Diaspora Co. 5th Year Anniversary
I think this is a private event, but there will be some other celebratory things happening around this, so I will share info as it becomes available.
FRI 9/2 - POP-UP Dinner, Berkeley. 1340 5th St. 3:00-8:00pm
First Fridays with Broc Cellars, Hammerling, Donkey & Goat, plus Xulo, Edith’s Pies and Tacos Everywhere. More info and menu to follow. But put it in your calendar!!
THU 9/8 - San Francisco Foodwise Mission Market 3:00pm-7:00pm
Some Thoughts on Nixtamal and CAL
I’ve kept meticulous records of every batch of maíz I’ve cooked since starting Bolita as a public project in October 2020. Every. Single. Batch. I have a Google spreadsheet with over 300 rows data: Varietal, weight of maíz, quantity, CAL %, water volume, cooking times, cooking notes, sal %, price, etc. etc. etc.
Why? Because there is no right way of making nixtamal.
Nixtamal is the maíz that has been treated and soaked in an alkaline bath. Usually, CAL (pickling lime, calcium hydroxide) is used. Ash, seashells, others materials with calcium hydroxide can be uses. The bath is so alkaline, lacking all acidity, that is is gently corrosive. It breaks down the pericarp of each kernel of corn, and restructures the makeup of the maíz. Starches gelatinize, fibers become soluble, starches become digest-able, the B vitamins and amino acids in the maíz become bio-accesible.
If you use too much CAL, the masa is affected. Blue masa looks green and sickly, red masa turns gray, yellow masa becomes so yellow as to appear artificially dyed. The flavor and nuance of the maíz is lost and you begin to taste metallic and sulphur-y flavors. Lots of CAL affects self-life, it acts as a preservative.
The cooking time and water volume affect how much CAL is absorbed. Too much water and the solution is not basic enough for proper nixtamalization. Not enough water and the maíz will not absorb enough liquid, and the masa will be dry and gritty. If you cook the masa for too long or at too high of a temperature, the masa is gummy and tacky. If you don’t cook it at the right temperature and long enough, the pericarp is still intact and the maíz will not absorb enough CAL to properly gelatinize.
This is roughly the framework I settle on. Hope you like the metric system:
Yellow Maíz
CAL, 0.8% to weight of maíz
Water, 3 L per Kg of maíz
Cook, under 85°C until pericarp comes off easily (25-55 minutes depending on varietal)
Soak, depending on carryover heat and size of batch, 16-24 hours
Blue / Black Maíz
CAL, 0.7% to weight of maíz
Water, 3 L per Kg of maíz
Cook, under 80°C until pericarp comes off easily (20-45 minutes depending on varietal)
Soak, depending on carryover heat and size of batch, 14-18 hours
White Maíz
CAL, 0.8% to weight of maíz
Water, 3 L per Kg of maíz
Cook, under 85°C until pericarp comes off easily (25-55 minutes depending on varietal)
Soak, depending on carryover heat and size of batch, 16-24 hours
Red Maíz
CAL, 0.6% to weight of maíz
Water, 3 L per Kg of maíz
Cook, under 78°C until pericarp comes off easily (25-55 minutes depending on varietal)
Soak, depending on carryover heat and size of batch, 16-20 hours
Purple Cónico Maíz
CAL, 0.7% to weight of maíz
Water, 3 L per Kg of maíz
Cook, under 83°C until pericarp comes off easily (38-45 minutes)
Soak, depending on carryover heat and size of batch, 12-24 hours
I’ve chatted, texted, and emailed with so many masa makers and no one is doing the same process. This is just the cooking/soaking process. This hasn’t even tapped into the infinite nuances of rinsing, scrubbing, grinding and eventually making the masa. So, if you’ve ever wondered about our inconsistencies, or a particularly good batch, I am aware. This is part of Bolita. I am learning publicly and sharing the research that I am doing, all the while helping more people find the wonders of freshly nixtamalized and ground masa.
This is where running a business and educating myself tend to clash. As a customer I want consistency. As a curios Chicanx masa nerd, I want to learn as much as I possibly can about masa.
For more visual content, you can follow my Instagram @bolitamasa