Masa
Dough made from maize that has been treated with lime and ground. It is the base of tortillas and tamales.
Also: masa de maiz, masa harina
Masa is Spanish for dough. In Mexico and Central America it means the soft dough made by grinding nixtamal, maize that has been cooked and soaked in limewater. Fresh masa is pressed into tortillas, wrapped around fillings for tamales, or shaped into sopes, gorditas and pupusas. It can also be stirred into the hot drink atole. Masa harina is the same dough dried into a flour, which only needs water added.