OCTOBER 21, 2023: Nixtamal 101 - Traditional Methods for Tortillas

Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023

Time: 4pm - 8pm

Cost: $175 per single-entry ticket 

PLEASE READ ALL CLASS POLICIES AT THE BOTTOM OF CLASS DESCRIPTION BEFORE MAKING YOUR PURCHASE.

We are SO excited to offer our PREMIERE NIXTAMALIZATION MASTER CLASS! 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. Many of us have never learned to appreciate the millennia of history behind the process of transforming dry corn kernels - into masa - into a warm tortilla. We invite you to come to this class with masa professionals Art Orozco (savory chef over at Abby Jane Bakeshop) and Julian Maltby (owner & operator of Mercado Sin Nombre) to learn everything you need to know about nixtamalization! While mastering the fundamentals of corn tortillas, Julian will also teach you about the world of atolesor masa-enriched beverages. You can look forward to some delicious fall-inspired sips from the beverage-master himself. 

Nixtamalization is a Mesoamerican culinary technique that dates back to at least 1500-1200 BCE. The root word nixtamal is of Nahuatl origin, and stems from the words nextli, meaning "ashes," and tamalli, meaning "unformed corn dough." The process utilizes an alkaline solution to tenderize and hydrate corn and, notably, this process makes the essential B-vitamin niacin and amino acids in corn exponentially more bioavailable to humans. Nowadays, humans across the globe have adopted this process to transform corn into a variety of regional specialties. Without nixtamalization, corn simply wouldn't be the king it is today. 

During this class, Art and Julian will:

  • Talk about what it's like to use Barton Springs Mill Corn (we've got four colors, by the way) to create soft, pliable masa (corn dough!)
  • Demo and let you get hands-on experience with THREE different methods for grinding your nixtamalized corn (the Molinito 1.0 from Masienda, old-school basalt metate, and stainless steel corn mill)
  • Discuss and practice shaping techniques with you for tortillas and sopes, to name a few
  • Lead you through the proper cook for your tortillas! (We're looking for the iconic puff.)
  • Teach you how to make a delicious masa-enriched beverage, called atole, for a warm and comforting cup all fall and winter long

After you've gone through these steps, we will have a corn-centric feast for you, complete with fresh corn tortillas and some other tricks we've got up our sleeve. 

Whether you're new to the history and current applications of nixtamalization, or want to make the switch from instant masa to traditionally prepared nixtamal, we'd love to see you in class. ALL levels are welcome, and we're so excited to see you!

BYOB is fine by us for participants 21+ 🍻

 

Beginners are welcome, and encouraged to attend this class!

Things to look forward to:
  • Have an opportunity to work with our own fresh grains and flours, grown organically and stone-milled onsite!
  • Learn about the history, chemistry, and nutritional science of nixtamalization
  • Master the art of masa for making tortillas and a number of other specialties!
  • Eat well!
  • Tour the mill with our Education Director, Kimberly Krebs
  • Purchase BSM products at a special one-time 15% discount

Class Policies:

By purchasing these class tickets, you acknowledge and agree to our Participant Class Policies and Media Release FormClose-toed shoes and a head covering (such as a baseball cap) required for all classes.

Touring our facility requires that all participants adhere to health guidelines - all touring participants (included in ticket) will be required to remove most jewelry and piercings, and wear a beard net (if applicable) and/or hair net. Close-toed shoes are required for entering any part of our facility. 

In keeping with low COVID risk level in Travis County, masks are optional and up to personal discretion for this class. Should COVID levels rise in the weeks/days leading up to class, we reserve the right to change our masking policy and will reach out via email with any updated guidelines. Should masks become a requirement for class based on statewide or countywide recommendations, non-masked participants will not be able to participate in mask-required classes. Refunds or ticket transfers are available for those who do not wish to attend a mask-required class.

Tickets are non-refundable, but transferrable up to 5 days before the class date.

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

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