Nabisco, Inc.

Nabisco Technology Company

Craig E Rethwill

Joseph A Szwerc

Norbert Gimmler

Juan A Menjivar

John M Kaiser

Corn-based products having a masa flavor, such as tortilla chips and taco shells, and soft tacos are produced using ground corn. The crisp corn based food products have a masa flavor and color, a crisp texture, and chip-like appearance without the gritty, hard texture associated with conventional tortilla chips or taco shells made by steeping whole corn kernels. The liming of continued corn particles reduces steeping time, develops masa flavor, and reduces tackiness to provide a cohesive dough which can be machined in a tortilla sheeter/cutter. Substantially uniform hydration of a coarse ground corn component, such as corn meal, is achieved by admixing and heating the coarse ground corn component with water and lime to at least substantially hydrate the coarse corn particles without substantially gelatinizing the corn starch. The hydrated coarse component may then be subjected to temperatures above the gelatinization temperature to partially gelatinize the corn starch. A fine ground starchy component is admixed and heated with the hydrated course ground component before, after, or simultaneously with gelatinization of the hydrated coarse ground corn component to form a machinable dough or masa. The hydration process avoids undesirable hard, white, raw-tasting spots in the final product.

Masa corn-based food products and method of preparing

Mass corn--based products, e.g., tortilla chips and taco shells, are produced by admixing and heating a coarse ground corn component with water and lime to hydrate the coarse corn component at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature of corn starch, admixing the hydrated coarse corn component with a fine ground starchy component, heating the mixture to form a dough, forming the dough into pieces and baking and/or flying the pieces.

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Morris Twp., NJ, United States of America

Craig E Rethwill