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Where to find masa preparada para tamales? Seattle area

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Does anyone know a good Mexican Grocery that sells the big bags of fresh tamale masa? I am from the southwest and we don't have so many tortilla factories here, so have never seen that this far north.


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  1. Are you talking about something like Maseca? That is pretty widely available, at any hispanic grocery, or virtually any chain grocery in the south end.

    3 Replies
    1. re: equinoise

      No actually, I am talking about bags of wet prepared fresh corn mixture. And, I actually answered my own question, I found a place in White Center, La Mexicana, a tortilla factory. 10020 14th Ave SW. I think Maseca is too dense and sorry to bring it up, but also quite gassy. The fresh stuff is lighter.

      It's also really good to get bags of tortilla masa, its a whole different tortilla made from that, like being in Mexico.

      1. re: Wanda2day

        One can learn something new everyday. Is the stuff you just found at La Mexicana also good for making tortillas, or, when you say" tortilla masa" are you referring to something else?

        1. re: equinoise

          they are two differnet things, tamale masa and torillla masa. I don't know if they carry the tortilla masa there too, but ya'd think. I will report in on what I find, I am showing a bunch of folks how to make tamales, so we'll make both ways, with Maseca and with the bags of the prepared masa.

    2. The Mexican Grocery, in the Pike Plade Market (not Mercado Latino on Post Alley, but the one further North along Pike Place), has had this in the past, so ask there. An enterprising inquirer might even ask at El Puerco Lloron if they might save you a batch next time they are making some.

      2 Replies
      1. re: mrnelso

        I have found it in Renton in some of the mexican grocery stores there - I cannot remember the name, but they are along the main road. It was a few years ago, so I am not sure whether they still carry it.

        1. re: mrnelso

          the spot you're referring to usually carries the masa, but not sure if they carry the prepared stuff on a daily basis. and the puerco lloron gets their masa from the spot in white center which was mentioned earlier (la mexicana). although it is nice to have the prepared masa, i'm a big fan of preparing it myself either works great!