Masa Vs Cornmeal: What You Need To Know For Homemade Tamales

The main ingredient in Mexican tamales, no matter the filling, is masa. While masa is made from ground corn, it's very different from the product simply labeled "cornmeal." Masa has been treated with an alkaline substance in a process called nixtamalization that may date back to the Aztecs. This loosens the hulls so the corn can be dried and ground into a flour called masa harina.

Rick Martínez, author of "Mi Cocina," explains to Mashed that the reason why Mexican-grown corn needs to be treated that way is because it's not the same as the sweet corn grown in the U.S. "The corn that's grown in Mexico is ... [a] completely different product," he tells us, explaining that it's "basically inedible." He goes on to say, "If you just picked it and ate it, you would get sick. It's indigestible to humans."

To make Mexican-style tamales, you should use either fresh masa or masa harina. If you're using the former, it's already in dough form, but the latter will need to be mixed with water and fat. You can also mix in salt and seasonings such as chile powder, cumin, or garlic to give the dough a bit more flavor. The masa dough is then spread inside of a corn husk, topped with the tamale fillings of your choice, folded up, and steamed in a basket until the cornmeal is cooked (a process that may take an hour or so).

This isn't to say that cornmeal tamales don't exist, but they're a separate dish that's associated with the Southern U.S., and they're somewhat different from the tamales native to Mexico. According to Rick Martínez, this offshoot originated when Mexicans living in Texas weren't able to acquire or make nixtamalized masa, so they made do with coarser, crumblier cornmeal. Martínez feels these tamales have a taste similar to that of a cornbread recipe, describing it as "a very distinct flavor versus the nixtamalized corn in Mexico [that] kind of tastes more like a corn nut or has that kind of Frito-y find of flavor." Despite the differences, cornmeal tamales really caught on in the Mississippi Delta region, and Greenville, Mississippi, hosts a Delta Hot Tamale Festival each year.

To make Delta-style hot tamales, start with cornmeal mixed with fat and water or broth. You'll also need to add some baking powder for leavening, as well as salt for flavor. This mixture is used to fill corn husks in much the same way that you'd construct a Mexican-style tamale, and they're also steamed in a similar manner, although kitchen twine is sometimes used to make sure the tamales don't fall apart as they cook. Another acceptable alternative is to cover them with water and simmer them. Delta tamales may be filled with a kind of bean-less chili that can be made with beef, chicken, or pork. The filling might also contain some cornmeal as a binder, although not every recipe calls for this inclusion.