Behind every tortilla on your plate lies a fascinating journey — one filled with history, tradition, hard work, and transformation. The journey of the corn kernel, from the field to becoming a tortilla, is a perfect example of how culture and technology can come together to preserve what matters while modernizing the process.
Let’s walk through each step, highlighting how nixtamalization, powered by Nextamalli’s equipment, helps turn ancestral corn into a high-quality, healthy, and profitable product.
🌾 1. Planting: Everything Starts in the Soil
The cycle begins with the selection and planting of Corn Kernel, one of the oldest crops in Mesoamerica. Over centuries, farmers have adapted its cultivation to various climates, altitudes, and soils.
Each corn variety has its own care routine, but they all share one thing: they represent the soul of the Mexican countryside.
🌽 2. Harvest and Selection
Once the corn is mature, it is carefully harvested and cleaned. Traditional methods prioritize clean, mold-free kernels. This step is essential to achieving a successful nixtamalization process later.
At this stage, the corn ceases to be just a seed — it becomes the raw material for one of Mexico’s most iconic foods.
♨️ 3. Nixtamalization: Where Corn Becomes Magic
Nixtamalization is the ancient process that has defined Mexican cuisine for over 3,500 years. It involves cooking corn in water with lime, letting it rest, and then washing it.
With Nextamalli’s ALITECH reactors, this sacred process becomes:
- Faster (just 2.5 hours of cooking)
- More efficient (up to 40% gas savings)
- Cleaner (less waste, optimized water use)
- Consistent (uniform nixtamal every time)
You can program the exact temperature and timing, adapting the process to the type of corn, ensuring top quality without losing the traditional taste.
🧑‍🍳 4. Grinding: From Nixtamal to Dough
After nixtamalization, the corn is taken to the mill to be turned into dough. Texture and moisture are key — if nixtamalization is done right, the dough will be soft, uniform, and easy to handle.
And good dough? It means great tortillas.
🔥 5. The Tortilla: The End… and the Beginning
Once the dough is ready, the tortilla is formed, pressed, and cooked. Whether handmade or machine-made, this step transforms all that effort into something millions enjoy daily.
Every tortilla carries a story: of the field, the culture, the corn… and now, of technology that respects that story.
âś… In Summary
Corn’s journey is not just agricultural — it’s cultural, emotional, and technical. Thanks to technologies like those from Nextamalli, today we can improve every step of nixtamalization without losing our roots.
Because honoring tradition and embracing innovation is the best way to ensure tortillas remain a proud symbol of Mexican identity.
