What is "masa"

Etymology 1 n. (context arts English) A strong form of paper, smooth on one side and lightly textured on the other, used for drawing and painting Etymology 2

n. (context US English) maize dough made from freshly prepared hominy, used for making tortillas, tamales, etc.

Masa (; ) is Spanish for dough. Although the word is mostly used to refer to any kind of dough, in some regions (Mexico, parts of Central America and the American South West) it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize (corn) dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina, and sometimes Maseca, the name of a leading commercial brand. It is reconstituted with water before use. Masa is not to be confused with masarepa, masa de arepa, or masa al instante, a type of unnixtamalized, soaked, and cooked cornmeal used to make arepas. Masa de trigo is Spanish for wheat flour dough. It is also used for making wheat tortillas and other breads and pastries.

To make hominy, field corn (maize) grain is dried and then treated by soaking and cooking the mature (hard) grain in a diluted solution of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or wood ash, a process termed nixtamalization. Lime and ash are highly alkaline: the alkalinity helps the dissolution of hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, and loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn. Some of the corn oil is broken down into emulsifying agents (monoglycerides and diglycerides), while bonding of the corn proteins to each other is also facilitated. The divalent calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and polysaccharide acidic side chains. As a result, while cornmeal made from untreated ground corn is unable by itself to form a dough on addition of water, the chemical changes in masa allow dough formation, which is essential to the ability to fashion dough into tortillas.

Finally, in addition to providing a source of dietary calcium, the lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient niacin can be absorbed by the digestive tract. While consumption of untreated corn is a risk factor in predisposition to pellagra, as in African countries, the risk is dramatically reduced or eliminated by nixtamalization. The soaked maize is washed, and then ground into masa. When fresh masa is dried and powdered, it becomes'' masa seca'' or masa harina.

The process of making hominy is also called nixtamalization and the ground product can be called masa nixtamalera. In Central American and Mexican cuisine, masa nixtamalera is cooked with water and milk to make a thick, gruel-like beverage called atole. When made with chocolate and sugar, it becomes atole de chocolate. Adding anise and piloncillo to this mix creates champurrado, a popular breakfast drink.

Masa is the stage name of a Japanese musician. While he is not very prominent in the Japanese music scene, he was member of GacktJOB, Gackt's band. He has also been in the disbanded Spiky, Dizzy Drive and マァマァサ☆ムゥ.

Masa or MASA may refer to:

• Masa, type of dough made from corn
• Masa (musician), stage name of a Japanese musician
• Masa (restaurant), upscale restaurant in New York City
• Masa's Wine Bar & Kitchen, Michelin-rated restaurant in San Francisco, California
• Masa (land), Masa or Masha was also a land to the west of Hatti in Late Bronze Age Anatolia
• Masa, Estonia, village in Pihtla Parish, Saare County, Estonia
• MASA (company), former bus manufacturer in Mexico
• Mexicano Aeronáutica y Spacio Administración, fictional aerospace agency depicted in the South Park episode " Free Willzyx"
• MASA Israel Journey, umbrella organization based in Israel
• Masa, a term for month in Hindu calendar
• Matti (disambiguation), a Finnish male Christian name, a nickname of which is Masa.
• Mines African Staff Association, a defunct Northern Rhodesian trade union
• Masa languages, a group of Chadic languages
• Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, the most prominent academic institution in Montenegro

Mexicana de Autobuses, S.A., or MASA, was a major bus and coach manufacturer located in Mexico. Formed in 1959, it was owned by the Mexican government until being privatized in 1988. It was the country's second-largest bus manufacturer when it was acquired by Volvo, in 1998, and renamed Volvo Buses de México, S.A.

is a Japanese and sushi restaurant located on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center at 10 Columbus Circle (at West 60th Street and Broadway) in Manhattan in New York City.

The restaurant was opened by Chef Masa Takayama in 2004 and is considered one of the most expensive restaurants in the world, as well as the most expensive restaurant in New York City. Located next door to the restaurant is Bar Masa, a more accessible dining experience offering an à la carte menu. In 2009, a second Bar Masa opened inside Aria in Las Vegas.