masa vs. maseca

I've made tortillas before using masa flour from Bob's Red Mill. Just picked up some Maseca brand masa (labeled "instant masa") and want to know how this is different - both in flavor and in the process of making tortillas or pupusas.

linzarella
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ChefOno October 8, 2012

Maseca makes both white and yellow masa harina ("dough flour"). The "instant" refers to the speed at which you can produce a dough, i.e. "instant dough", as opposed to starting with dried corn, soaking it in lime, etc.

I believe Bob's Red Mill only makes the yellow. Obviously there will be a difference in flavor if you're comparing yellow to white but otherwise they are comparable products.

 
Nozlee S. October 8, 2012
As far as I know it's just much more finely ground -- that's the only difference.

You can find our article about corn meal vs masa vs grits here:

http://www.food52.com/blog/3698_cornmeal_vs_grits_vs_polenta_vs_masa
 
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