Which nixtamalized corn dough is used to make many traditional taco tortillas? Masa.
Masa, also called masa de maíz, is made by grinding nixtamal: dried corn that has been cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution. The resulting dough is shaped into tortillas and cooked, traditionally on a hot comal. Corn tortillas made from masa are the foundation of many tacos, as well as tamales, gorditas, pupusas, and tlacoyos.
The process begins with field corn rather than ordinary sweet corn. Nixtamalization loosens the kernel’s outer hull, softens the grain, improves its grinding properties, and helps make niacin and certain amino acids more available. Untreated cornmeal generally cannot form the same cohesive dough with water.
A common mix-up is confusing masa with masa harina. Masa is fresh dough; masa harina is dried, powdered masa that must be rehydrated. Masa is also different from wheat-based tortilla dough, which is used for flour tortillas rather than traditional corn tortillas.