美国国家公共电台 NPR--Masa, the key to tortillas and tamales, inspires an award-winning documentary series

Masa, the key to tortillas and tamales, inspires an award-winning documentary series

Transcript¹

Author Jorge Gaviria considers masa – dough² made from stone-ground corn – to be one of the greatest human achievements, up there with taming fire and inventing the wheel. His enthusiasm for the humble³ ingredient has led to his team winning a top culinary prize.

On Jun. 3, Gaviria and his colleagues won a 2023 James Beard award for their YouTube documentary series celebrating masa and the communities who cook with it.

Masienda Presents shows how ranchers, home cooks and professional chefs from around the world all use this ancient staple⁵.

Masa is at the foundation of many Latin American cuisines⁶. It takes on many different shapes and textures⁷, allowing it to be used for the flat disks of tortillas, the thick cases of tamales, and many other foods.

"What I loved about the series was that everything really did hit on a different facet⁸ of identity," Gaviria said. "Mexican-American identity, Mexican identity, Latin identity at large."

Masa and identity

In the first episode, Arturo Enciso talks about Gusto Bread, the artisanal bakery he owns with Ana Belén Salatino in Long Beach, California. They're known for using masa in bread and pastries⁹.

"Having baked all these European-style breads, I still felt like 'OK well that doesn't translate to like my other identity, my true identity," Enciso says.

Another episode follows Tony Ortiz on their grandparents' Northern California ranch⁴ as they cook lamb birria in an outdoor oven.

"When I'm in the kitchen with my grandmother, things that I am making, for me, they feel more soft," Ortiz says. "Then when I'm cooking with my grandfather it's a little bit more intense...I've had to learn how to, like, exist in those two spaces — feminine and masculine — as a queer person."

After hours of cooking, the Ortiz family come together and serve the birria on fresh, warm tortillas.

Why masa? Why now?

According to Gaviria, tortillas sell more, pound for pound, than hamburger buns.

He founded his company Masienda in 2014, supplying cooks with masa ingredients and kitchen tools. In addition to Masienda Presents, its YouTube channel has cooking tutorials and stories about the craftspeople behind Masienda's products.

Gaviria previously¹⁰ worked at farms and high-end restaurants, including Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

"And as I started to really kind of dive deeper into the foods that I loved, I realized that they lacked the same kind of representation that, you know, French and New American food had in the culinary canon," Gaviria said. "I wanted to see, you know, rice and beans elevated in a way, and celebrated¹¹ for just the deliciousness and, you know, the comfort that they provide."

For a taste of that deliciousness, he has some advice.

"If you have a taco," Gaviria said, "consider maybe making that tortilla from scratch."

And a great tortilla, he says, starts with masa.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

3 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

4 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

5 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

6 cuisines   

n.烹饪( cuisine的名词复数 )；菜肴；（通常指昂贵的饭店中的）饭菜；烹饪艺术

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the different features of these cuisines? 能不能告诉我这些不同的烹调流派各自有哪些特点？ 来自地道口语脱口SHOW 高中超越版
• Ice sculptures are used as decorations in some cuisines, especially in Asia. 冰雕在某些菜肴中被当作装饰品，尤其在亚洲。 来自互联网

7 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

8 facet   

n.(问题等的)一个方面；(多面体的)面

参考例句：

• He has perfected himself in every facet of his job.他已使自己对工作的各个方面都得心应手。
• Every facet of college life is fascinating.大学生活的每个方面都令人兴奋。

9 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。

10 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

11 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。