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A street cook in Mexico City showed me a better way to handle masa
I was in Mexico City last week and watched a street cook prepare tortillas. He shaped the masa with wet hands, which kept it from sticking. I tried it in my kitchen and it helped a lot. Do you have travel tips that improved your cooking?
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brianfoster1mo ago
Hey, that tip about wet hands for masa is solid, but I heard from a friend in Oaxaca that using cold water works even better. It keeps the masa from getting too sticky without making it soggy. When I traveled through Thailand, I learned to use a metal bowl for mixing meatballs because it stays cooler. Little tricks like that from different places really change how you cook at home.
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abby_martinez1mo ago
You mix meatballs in a metal bowl?
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mark_green1mo ago
My abuela in Guadalajara always used room temp water for masa, not cold. She said it helps the corn flour hydrate better. Oscar949, maybe it depends on the type of masa? The street vendor trick is about wet hands, not the water temp. I picked up a trick in Italy to rest pizza dough in an oiled bowl, not floured, so it doesn't dry out. These little changes from watching cooks abroad are the best souvenirs.
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