Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Looks Great, Tastes...Well...



After crafting a delicious Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and a Pico de Gallo, I opened a brand new package of fresh masa to make some tortillas. Often, I use Masa Harina (a flour that is mixed with water and salt to make "instant" masa) or fresh masa made at the local Mexican grocery. This time, however, I purchased a tube of yellowish masa that was manufactured in Chicago. Upon opening, I noticed a distinct sour odor that I was a bit unsure about but couldn't classify it as bacterial. There was no expiration date on the package, which I thought was odd, but I continued to make tortillas anyway. They tasted "off," but not necessarily rotten; I thought perhaps it was just a different type of masa that I wasn't used to. Eventually, I just decided to throw away the entire batch. I know fresh masa only lasts a couple of days, and figured that this masa was past its prime despite containing preservatives.

I wish I could tell you that these tacos were delicious, but that's far from the truth. They were merely edible; anything else would be an over statement. The lesson here is to always buy the freshest masa, use masa harina, or make your own masa.

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