Before we plant our corn fields in Rothenklempenow, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, we have to make the most important decision: Which corn varieties suit us and which partners do we want to work with? We choose the reliable seed-resistant varieties. Sure, they don't produce as much mass as their hybrid relatives, but they are more sustainable and ecological. Dark maize always needs an extra portion of sun, which unfortunately makes it a little more difficult here next to our tortilleria.
Sowing & harvesting
The partnerships with our farmers are also an important part of our success. The close exchange with them not only enriches the process, but also strengthens our relationship with the people who support us with their expertise.
The corn must be ripe and preferably dry in the field so that it does not break and requires less reworking.
However, it should not be left in the field for too long, otherwise there is a risk of storm damage and hungry wild animals.But thanks to our years of experience, we now know exactly when the perfect harvest time is to guarantee the best possible quality for our tortillas and tortilla chips.
As soon as planting is complete in mid-May, the final challenge is now the right time to harvest. A real balancing act!
Nixtamal really is an art and many parameters play a big role: the corn varieties, the age of the corn and, of course, the quality. Then there are the weather conditions, time of day, concentration of calcium, quantity and water quality. The more breakage, the trickier the process becomes. But we love a challenge!
Nixtamalization
In nixtamalization, the whole grain of corn is boiled in water with calcium hydroxide (limestone) and left to steep. This removes the outer husk (which otherwise tends to get stuck between the teeth) and at the same time breaks down protein chains, making more nutrients available to the body. Thanks to the added calcium, our tortillas are not only flexible and durable, but above all incredibly delicious.
This is where the corn is processed into dough (masa). To do this, we have to grind the volcanic stones correctly and add the exact amount of water. This is the only way to create the incomparable masa that makes our products so special.
A small comparison: Nixtamal masa vs. conventional masa flour is like sourdough vs. toast or homemade mashed potatoes vs. mashed potatoes from a bag.
The next step on the way to our perfect tortillas and tortilla chips is grinding the nixtamal on the volcanic stone.
Baked with fire
The tortillas are baked on our comales, which are cast-iron plates over an open fire. This produces them in different sizes and thicknesses.
As soon as everything is perfectly set up and preheated, the tortillas are ready to be baked. Each one is carefully checked by us before it goes into the oven. And even afterwards, two more employees are always standing by to check that each tortilla meets the highest quality standards. Only the best make it into the packaging, while the rest are used for other delicious products.
Once the tortillas have cooled down a little, they are carefully stacked by hand, weighed, packaged and vacuum-sealed to preserve their freshness. Of course, everything is checked in detail to ensure that every product is perfect in the end.
