Gavira started the company in 2014 after being inspired by a conversation he had with chef Enrique Olvera at the G9 Chefs Summit at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Olvera, whose restaurants include Pujol in Mexico and Cosme in New York City, is one of several top chefs helping raise the profile of Mexican heritage corn by making it a mainstay of his menu. Masienda supplies more than 150 restaurants and the support of chefs is helping drive demand for Mexican corn and support the country’s small farmers.
“Chefs have more cultural capital than ever before…[they] make a strong case for why this product is superior in every way,” Gavira said.
One such chef is Colin King of Oyamel in Washington, D.C., which has been sourcing corn from Masienda since March. “The end product offers a truly aromatic experience where a buttered popcorn flavor comes through, allowing the tortilla to become much more than just a vessel for the ingredients within, but to be represented as an integral part of the experience,” King said.
The method to the masa Sourcing the right type of corn is just the beginning when it comes to making tortillas. Before grinding, the dried corn must be treated with a process called nixtamalization, which uses an alkaline solution to dissolve the thick outer shell around the kernel and unlock its nutrients.