Nixtamal

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Name Variations

 * uncooked posole

About Nixtamal
Wikipedia Article About Nixtamal on Wikipedia

Nixtamalization is the process whereby ripe maize grains are soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually lime based, to cause the transparent outer hull, the pericarp, to separate from the grain. This process has multiple benefits including enabling the grain to be more effectively ground; increasing protein and vitamin content availability; improving flavor and aroma and reduction of mycotoxins. The recorded Aztec word for the product of this process is nixtamal. The term can also be used to describe the removal of the pericarp from any grain such as sorghum by an alkali process.