Hello masa-friends,
I returned from New Mexico, feeling inspired and refreshed. But, also feeling that there is so much more work that needs to be done. Hopefully, we can build some beautiful things together very soon.
The highlight of our trip was the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. I was blown away by the Girard Collection, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond. Thousands of objects meticulously arranged in scenes depicting everyday life, spiritual inspirations, imaginary scenes. From all over the world, these objects, figures, masks, puppets exemplified our human need to find meaning in all we do, all we see, and all we believe. Figures of demons, curses, whimsy, blessings, angels sat comfortably near figures of people selling goods at a market, making tortillas, having dinner, everyday practicalities. By remembering what we share with our ancestors and with others around the world, we can better understand how to build a future that works for all of us.
A Message
“During the Spanish conquest, which began in the 1500s, Indigenous people would hide a tricolor tortilla between stacks of single-color tortillas, and this marbled disk sent a message… This tortilla—unlike the plainly colored ones it was hidden among—acted as a way to maintain both identity and religion.” - Andrea Aliseda
Recently, writer and new friend Andrea Aliseda had a beautiful piece published in Bon Appetit about the importance of design, color, and masa as cultural resistance. In her piece, The Quiet Resistance of Instagram’s Trendy Colorful Tortillas, which you should read, she was able to beautifully articulate one of the core reasons why Bolita exists.
I try to catch your eye with color, with concentric circles and swirly masa. Are you enticed by the shocking pink, dark blue, dramatic purple, pristine white, noble yellow hues? I hope projects like mine, in a small, tiny way, are helping us realize there are alternatives to our industrial systems. I hope you can taste the ingredient that built Mexico. Knead it, work with it, play with it. It may not seem like much, but that bolita of masa or those tortillas are a reminder, a message.
"I believe we should preserve this evidence of the past, not as a pattern for sentimental imitation, but as nourishment for the creative spirit of the present."
- Alexander Girard
Those flashy concentric circles look like a Target logo or an Ugo Rondinone. They are practicality and aesthetic, art and nourishment.
These tortillas are achieved by pressing multiple bolitas de masa, of decreasing size, one after the other. Say, for example, you press a bolita of masa weighing 25g. Atop of that pressed masa another different color bolita of 20g, press, then another color of 15g, press, then 10g, press, 5g, press. You’re creating a strata of masa, pressing down each layer and forcing the masa outward from the center, like rock through time, or just like masa on masa. So much work to make a tortilla, but not that much work considering you’ve made a beautiful object– a message, to find among a stack of mono-colored tortillas, letting you know that so long as we continue to nourish ourselves with ancestral foods, things are going to be alright.
GET MASA y MÁS
We are increasing our sales via PASTEL. USE CODE “BOLITA” for $20 off your first order of $40 or more. They have pickup locations in San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Albany, Castro Valley, Fremont, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Milly Valley, San Jose, ALL OVER THE BAY AREA!
Pop-Up / Market Dates
THU 6/16 - San Francisco CUESA Mission Market 3:00pm-7:00pm
THU 6/23 - San Francisco CUESA Mission Market 3:00pm-7:00pm
SAT 6/25 Tamal POP-UP, San Francisco - Tahona Mercado. Bolita x Primary Beans x Tahona Mercado. Tamales, Masa, Salsas, BEANS!! 12:00pm-4:00pm
THU 6/30 - San Francisco CUESA Mission Market 3:00pm-7:00pm
Catering / Classes / Private Dinners Late July and August books are open for private dinners, caterings, and private classes. Email me at hola@bolitamasa.com. I will get back to you within 2 days.
For more visual content, you can follow my Instagram @bolitamasa