Article: Masa in the limelight; Masa (mah-sah): the Spanish word for "dough": in practice, the soaked and ground corn meal used to make tamales, tortillas, sopes, tostadas, huaraches and other antojitos, or appetizers.(Cover story)

THE CAUSTIC ACTION OF CALCIUM HYDROXIDE, or lime, is what separates masa from a lump of indigestible ground corn. To create lime, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), naturally occurring in limestone, coral, chalk and shellfish shells, is heated, a process that releases carbon dioxide and results in the formation of calcium oxide (CaO). In this form, lime can be heated to 4661 degrees Fahrenheit without melting. Until the widespread use of electric lights, theater technicians took advantage of calcium oxide's high melting point, heating it with a flame until it emitted a bright white light, which could be aimed at a stage--hence the term "limelight." We can only assume that extreme ...

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