Good Food

The ancient chemistry inside your taco

When you bite into a taco, huarache, or a fresh corn tortilla, you’re tasting the results of an ancient chemical process called nixtamalization and dates back to 1500 BCE. The science podcast “ Distillations ” went into this process in 2016.

By Evan Kleiman • Aug 17, 2018 • 1 min read

When you bite into a taco, huarache, or a fresh corn tortilla, you’re tasting the results of an ancient chemical process called nixtamalization and dates back to 1500 BCE. The science podcast “Distillations” went into this process in 2016. Rigoberto Hernandez reported from Philadelphia.

An 1836 lithograph of tortilla production in rural Mexico. Photo credit: Public domain.

Evan Kleiman
host 'Good Food'
Nick Liao
Managing Producer, Good Food
Rosalie Atkinson
Associate Producer, Left, Right & Center and All The President's Lawyers
Joseph Stone
Producer, Good Food

Culture

Food & Drink

Good Food

The ancient chemistry inside your taco

When you bite into a taco, huarache, or a fresh corn tortilla, you’re tasting the results of an ancient chemical process called nixtamalization and dates back to 1500 BCE. The science podcast “ Distillations ” went into this process in 2016.

Share

Good Food

The ancient chemistry inside your taco

When you bite into a taco, huarache, or a fresh corn tortilla, you’re tasting the results of an ancient chemical process called nixtamalization and dates back to 1500 BCE. The science podcast “ Distillations ” went into this process in 2016.

Share