Fresh Masa

[wwstephe]

Can someone tell me where I can buy fresh masa, for making tortillas, in New York City? Thanks.

[jasmurph]

You can't. Seriously, it's hopeless (or was 3 months ago). This is not California.

Having said that, the tortillas you can make using masa harina are still 10 times better than those little disks of blehhh they sell prepackaged at groceries. It's not hard to make up either.

Finally, Pinche taqueria has good tortillas (so-so tacos), and they'll sell you a freshly made stack.

[JoanN]

jasmurph is right. It's hopeless. There have been two or three threads on this over the past year and a half. Nada.

[F Schubert]

So sad. Have there been any good guesses/theories as to why this is so? Seems like its not for a lack of relevant immigrant populations. This is kinda like going down to Chinatown and only being able to find Uncle Ben's rice.

[goodhealthgourmet]

maseca mix is the closest thing you can get on the east coast.

[hungrycomposer]

Have you tried purchasing fresh masa directly from a tortilleria? The fresh stuff is so much better...

[E Eto]

Can you really get fresh masa from ground corn at the tortillerias? In my many tries over the years, it's only masa made from maseca (the powdered stuff) reconstituted, which can be done at home easily with a bag of the stuff and a tortilla press. If we're starting to find fresh masa in NYC, that's quite a development.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/248184
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/410551

[jasmurph]

I don't know if Pinche uses fresh masa. My guess is no. I'd go the maseca route at home too.

[JoanN]

The only tortilleria I could find in NYC was in the Bronx. It must be a huge commercial operation. When I called and asked about buying fresh masa they pretty much laughed at me.

[squid kun]

There's one in Bushwick that also serves tacos. Don't know about the masa, though.

[davisready]

That's great. I live in Bushwick and have always wondered where the smell of fresh tortillas was coming from.

[hungrycomposer]

Any word on Bushwick Masa? I bought masa from tortillerias when I lived in Oakland, but never pursued it in New York. Have seen some in Norristown, PA, but that's an unreasonable commute, even for fresh masa.

[wwstephe]

I went to this tortilleria today and they make their masa by reconstituting masa harina. I bought some as well as some fresh tortillas as a backup.

[wwstephe]

Thanks, I just purcashed some masa from a tortilleria in Brooklyn today, however they make theirs by reconstituting masa harina. I was hoping I'd find that they make their own Nixtamal. Oh well. I bought some of their masa as well as some tortillas fresh off the line.

[hungrycomposer]

Is the masa any better than what you would mix up yourself?
btw I recently got a big square wooden tortilla press, which I prefer to the little round sliver ones. I didn't have an abuela to teach me how to make them by hand... but those big wooden ones are great (and look pretty cool too).

[adamclyde]

no. It's the exact same stuff. And depending on which tortilleria you go to, its the even the same brand of masa you get in the market.

[Joe MacBu]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/585545

Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Ave.
Corona, NY 11368
[phone]
Closed Mondays.