MAiiZ Churros Giveaway
540 Fisgard St
Victoria, BC V8W 1R4
Canada
MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas are made from certified organic corn grown in Armstrong, BC and lab-tested to be gluten free.
Chef Israel Alvarez Molina’s technique, inspired in the traditional Mesoamerican Nixtamalization process is more than just authentic, providing taste and structure. MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas have flavour, aroma, texture and elasticity.
When eating a Nixtamal Taco you don’t just taste the corn, you taste the process.
• Maiiz.ca • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Contact • 778-433-1544
“I want to feel proud about the food I produce, and I want people to feel good about what they are eating!” Chef Israel Alvarez Molina
Testimonials
- “Se siente el sabor de Mexico! I can taste the flavour of Mexico” @gtcanni
- “I love how the tortillas held together perfectly without breaking or getting soggy.” @propitiouspig
YAM Magazine 2024 Best Latin American Restaurant!
- “Chef Israel Alvarez Molina opened his MAiiZ Nixtamal Cafe in downtown Chinatown just four years ago and has been wowing locals with his authentic Mexican street food ever since.”
- What began as a passion project – to revive the traditional nixtamalization process & create authentic Mexican corn tortillas – has made MAiiZ a household name.
- He’s slowly expanded from a takeout counter and a couple of tables to 30+ seating (both indoors and a new sidewalk patio.)
- And now you can find his tasty corn tortillas on restaurant menus, in independent food charts and major supermarkets all over the city. Working with organic B.C. corn, he’s recreating a traditional Mexican product with local provenance.
- Stop in for lunch or takeout tacos, tamales, and quesadillas with beef barbacoa, chicken tinga, huitlacoche (fungus) or even grasshoppers. This is the real deal!”
- July / August 2024 Yam Magazine
• Saluted again! Read Yam Magazine’s 2023 Review!
• Read the Review in the Times Colonist
• Watch Chef Israel on Cookin’ on the Coast!
Now available at Thrifty Foods!
Admiral’s Walk • Belmont • Broadmead • Central Saanich • Cloverdale • Colwood • Fairfield • Hillside • James Bay • Quadra Saanich • Sidney • Tuscany. More to follow!
Inspired by the traditional process of Mesoamerican Nixtamalization, enjoy the aroma, taste & texture – and elasticity – the way tortillas were meant to be. Feast your eyes!
Experience the best that Latin America has to offer, in the heart of Victoria’s Chinatown. 540 Fisgard St: see map
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Testimonials
- “Se siente el sabor de Mexico! I can taste the flavour of Mexico” @gtcanni
- “I love how the tortillas held together perfectly without breaking or getting soggy.” @propitiouspig
- *Phillips’ non-alcoholic ‘beer’ contains gluten.
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What exactly is Nixtamalization?
- Corn holds the memory of culture, tradition, indigenous practices and history for many in Mexico. Nixtamalization, masa, fresh cooked tortillas; these textures and smells are ingrained within the best culinary experiences and come from a place of memory and authenticity.
- Nixtamalization is the process of chemically transforming dried corn kernels into a dough which is then used in a wide variety of Mexican dishes.
- Dried corn kernels is boiled in an alkaline solution using pickling lime (also known as slaked lime or calcium hydroxide) and then left to soak overnight. When the corn is drained and rinsed some of the outer membrane layer is loosened and rubbed off. Corn that has gone through this process is now called nixtamal, or in some cultures, hominy.
- The wet nixtamal is then ground to a dough using a specialized mill. The result is a silky, slightly elastic fresh “masa” dough that squiggles out the grinder. The masa is shaped into small balls called testalitos and pressed to create fragrant, soft, flavourful tortillas with a unique smell of Mexico!
How does this change the corn?
- The nixtamalization process not only transforms corn structurally, but also nutritionally. Corn on its own is seen as a low source of nutrition, often associated with pellagra, a disease caused by vitamin B3 deficiency common to impoverished communities where the process of nixtamalization was not introduced with corn.
- This issue can be traced back to the colonization of the Americas when corn was taken by Europeans to grow as a crop around the globe, but the nixtamalization process was not. This resulted in widespread disease and malnutrition. Through the process of nixtamalization the calcium in corn is increased as is the quality of protein absorbed by the body. Additionally, phytic acid is reduced making it easier for the body to absorb important minerals unlocked by the alkaline solution used during the nixtamalization process.
What is the cultural importance?
- “When you are an immigrant you go through a lot of stages to find an identity in your new home. The part of my life that I could not find was my diet. I could adapt to a different climate, harsh weather, assimilate into the culture and learn a new language, but deep inside of me nixtamal was missing. There is so much history and culture behind this process which is the foundation of Mexican Cuisine. The aroma, texture, flavour and feeling of a fresh Nixtamal Tortilla doesn’t compare to anything else, it’s like freshly brewed coffee when you’ve had instant coffee all your life. This transformative experience is something that everyone deserves.
