KITCHEN PRACTICE 3 — Beaten Masa vs. Plain, Unbeaten Masa
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Chapter: Mexican Cookery 8 — Tamales: Beating Air Into Masa & Steaming in a Husk

TASK
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Make one tamale with properly beaten, aerated masa, and one with
plain, unbeaten masa (like tortilla masa). Steam both the same way
and compare texture.

WHAT TO DO
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1. Prepare a small portion of properly beaten masa, following
   Kitchen Practice 1's own technique until it passes the float
   test.
2. Prepare a second, equal portion of plain masa the way you would
   for tortillas in Chapter 4 — no beating, no added fat worked in
   the same way.
3. Assemble one tamale from each portion, using the same husk size
   and the same filling for both.
4. Steam both together for the same length of time.
5. Unwrap and taste both once done.

WHAT TO EXPECT
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- The properly beaten tamale should taste and feel noticeably
  lighter and more tender.
- The unbeaten tamale is likely to taste denser and heavier, closer
  to a firm, compact block than a light, tender one.
- Both should still cook through and set properly, but the texture
  difference should be genuinely obvious once tasted.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This exercise isolates the beating step as the real variable,
demonstrating directly why tamale masa is prepared so differently
from tortilla masa, even though both start from the exact same base
ingredient.