KITCHEN PRACTICE 2 — Plain-Soaked Corn vs. Nixtamalized Corn
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Chapter: Mexican Cookery 2 — Nixtamalization: The Real Chemistry Behind Masa

TASK
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Soak a small portion of dried corn in plain water, with no cal at
all, alongside a properly nixtamalized batch, and compare how each
grinds.

WHAT TO DO
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1. Prepare a small batch of properly nixtamalized corn as in Kitchen
   Practice 1.
2. Separately, soak a small, equal portion of dried corn in plain
   water only, for the same length of time, with no cal added.
3. Drain both.
4. Try grinding a small amount of each — in a food processor, or by
   crushing with the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle — and
   compare the results.

WHAT TO EXPECT
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- The nixtamalized corn should grind down into a smooth, cohesive,
  workable paste.
- The plain-soaked corn is likely to grind into a coarser, grittier
  texture that doesn't hold together the same way, since its starch
  was never gelatinized and its hull never properly softened.
- Neither batch should look dramatically different in colour, but
  the texture difference once ground should be genuinely obvious.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This exercise isolates cal as the real variable, demonstrating
directly that nixtamalization isn't just a soaking step — it's a
genuine chemical transformation that plain water alone can't
reproduce.