Calories in Corn flour, masa harina, white or yellow, dry

What makes corn flour so powerful?

Masa harina is not simply finely milled corn; it is corn that has undergone nixtamalization, a process where dried maize is cooked and steeped in an alkaline solution—traditionally water and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). This ancient Mesoamerican technique fundamentally alters the grain's biochemistry. Untreated corn contains niacin (vitamin B3) in a bound form that the human body cannot absorb. Historically, populations that relied heavily on untreated corn as a staple without the alkaline process suffered from pellagra, a severe niacin deficiency disease. Nixtamalization unbinds the niacin, making it bioavailable, while also significantly increasing the calcium content of the flour as the grain absorbs the lime. Additionally, the alkaline treatment partially dissolves the hemicellulose in the cell walls, transforming the corn into a cohesive dough (masa) that can hold its shape—something impossible with regular cornmeal. When this nixtamalized dough is dried and milled, it becomes masa harina. Rehydrating it with water instantly recreates the pliable dough used for tortillas, tamales, and pupusas, carrying forward a 3,500-year-old food chemistry innovation.