Where to get corn husks and masa flour for tamales in Toronto

[rtadman]

I am from California originally and love Mexican food. I have a burning desire to make Tamales. Does anyone know where in Toronto (downtown) I can buy corn husks (Hojas para Tamal ) and masa flour? ......... Thanks

[Kagemusha]

Masa isn't that hard to find but fresh dried corn husks can be. Several Latin American grocers in Kensington should be able to help. I get mine at a bizarrely well-stocked NoFrills and at Highland Farms in Mississauga,

[rtadman]

Thanks .......... D'OH I was at Highland Farms just this morning !!! but Kenningston is real close to me. Thought it would be Kensington but did look there last year and didn't find the husks at the time. I am getting an original family recipe for Tamales from friends in LA .....will share it when it comes

[Kagemusha]

Just make sure the husks are fresh, esp. if you're in Kensington. They can be oldish and sometimes too dry to reconstitute for rolling and folding. Most of the Central Americans in TO do a sketchy tamale--a bit wide of the LA or PHX mark IMHO. I get dried chiles mailed from PHX and suggest you get your LA crew to do likewise. Price/selection/freshness can a little daunting in Kensington.

[gdiazc]

Sorry, just to confirm you find the corn husks in both the Highland Farms in Mississauga and the NoFrills. Where is that NoFrills?
Can you tell me around what section in the store you find them? We went today to a NoFrills where we found the lard and they had no clue what we were talking about when we looked for the corn husks.

[Kagemusha]

I got mine at the Mavis+Eglinton store with Mexican stuff.. That one and the store at Creditview+Britannia often have frozen corn tortillas, too. Highland Farms does stock Mexican-style cheeses at Matheson+Hurontario. Further afield, there's a Latin American resto/grocer in Milton on Main St.--a fairly quick drive along Derry Rd. from Mississauga. I got some OK fresh poblanos, serranos, and jalapenos at the Milton farmers market this a.m. Saw some tomatillos, too, but they were a bit big and pricey.

[1sweetpea]

Head to Kensington Market. There are two or three Hispanic grocery stores on Augusta, I believe. You should be able to find anything you need to make tamales, plus lots of other goodies in those shops. One is called Perola's. I've seen the whole corn kernels if you want to pound and grind your own masa, as well as a decent assortment of fresh and dried chiles, nopales, beans, etc.

[gnuf]

Lively Life, in the basement of St. Lawrence Market (south side), sells both husks and flour.