DECEMBER 20, 2025: Nixtamal 101 - Tamales

Join us for this cornerstone workshop in our Nixtamal 101 masterclass series! This 4-hour course will teach you the history, value, technique, and application for one of the world's keystone culinary technologies.

Nixtamalization is the corn preparation method responsible for the tortilla swaddling your taco, the chip ferrying your salsa, the hominy dotting your pozole, and so much more. Join masa baddies Nadia Rodriguez and Ariana Diaz to learn everything you need to know about nixtamalization, including but not limited to: methods, equipment, and cooking techniques essential to crafting the tamales of your dreams completely from scratch. 

You will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with three distinct corn-grinding methods - metate, hand-mill, and Masienda's Molinito. Learn how to properly hydrate, season, and shape your masa, and how to fill + cook masa tamales our abuelitas and tias would be proud of. Not only will we be making delicious savory tamales, but also sweet filled tamales to round out your offerings!

Whether you're new to masa or looking to deepen your skills, this class is a great way to connect with tradition, learn something new, and enjoy delicious results.
After you've gone through these steps, we will have a corn-centric feast for you, complete with fresh seasonal sauces and accoutrements plus some other tricks we've got up our sleeve.

All levels are welcome and encouraged to attend this class!

Things to look forward to:

• From rich + savory fillings to delicate + sweet tamales, you’ll learn masa prep, folding, and steaming techniques passed down through generations

• Nixtamalize and work with our organic Bloody Butcher Red corn

• Stone-grind corn by hand into fresh masa using our metates passed down through generations

• Explore the cultural artistry of cochineal - the vibrant, natural red pigment derived from cactus-dwelling insects - and use it to infuse color into your masa.

• Tour the mill with our Education Director

• Purchase BSM products at a class-exclusive 15% discount

BYOB is fine by us for participants 21+ 🍻

About your instructors:

Nadia Rodriguez, BSM Education Center Assistant Director:
I received my culinary degree in 2018 but have been working in the culinary industry for 11 years now, with both savory and pastry experience. My passion for cooking started early with my grandmother, and I believe cooking is sharing love. I adore Italian, Asian and Latin cuisines. I love to curate flavors for individuals and make something unique and one of a kind. I love sharing the knowledge I have gained and showing how amazing ingredients such as Barton Springs Mill flour and the attitude you bring toward those ingredients can truly transform food into an experience. My ethos is to have fun, eat for the season, do it with love, and you can't go wrong! :)

Ariana Diaz:
Ariana Diaz is a local baker and pastry chef at Este. She highlights her family origins and climate consciousness through a small scale cake business focused on locally foraged botanicals, Mexican flavors, and Jewish baking traditions. Ariana’s work is rooted in years of food access organizing and garden-to-table creations featuring local growing spaces such as the Festival Beach Food Forest, Nixta Taqueria Garden, and Urban Roots Farm. You can find Ariana vending across town through a mutual-aid focused pop up called Sana Sana Bake Club or teaching classes to the next generation of citizen scientists!

Class Policies:

TICKETS ARE FINAL SALE, NON-REFUNDABLE, and NON-TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER CLASSES. You may transfer tickets to another person to attend in your place - simply have them check in under the original name used to purchase the ticket(s).

By purchasing tickets to attend one of our classes, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to our Participant Class Policies and Media Release. 

Touring our facility requires that all participants adhere to health guidelines - all touring participants (included in ticket) will be required wear a hair net that effectively restraints all hair, including mustaches, goatees, and any other facial hair. Close-toed shoes and shirts that cover the underarms and shoulders are required for entering any part of our facility, per health code. No exceptions. 

In keeping with the low COVID risk level in Travis County, masks are optional and up to personal discretion for this class. 

In the event of class cancellation, we will email you to notify you of a canceled class.