What's the difference between masa for tortillas and for tamales?

Question

I often buy fresh prepared masa from Mexican markets in order to make tamales and pupusas. Mexican cookbook authors stress getting the correct masa for the recipe, either masa for tamales or masa for tortillas. However, the masa at the market is in an unlabelled bag and is identified by the proprietor as just "masa". Questions:

1. is this more likely to be tamale or tortilla masa?

2. is there a real difference? What?

3. if there's a real difference, is there a way you can modify one type of masa into the other?

Clarifying: the above question is about fresh corn masa, not dried flour. Prepared masa, in particular, has at least oil and salt added to the fresh-ground corn.

Answer 1

I found a link that will provide the explanation you are looking for:

http://www.mymexicanrecipes.com/ingredients/masa-harina.html

Here is a direct quote from the site:

Masa is dried corn that has been cooked in limewater (cal), soaked overnight, and then ground up while still wet. Sold in this form, it's called fresh masa, and it makes the lightest, fluffiest tamales. In Mexico, it can be purchased at tortilla factories in two ways: with smooth consistency for making tortillas and, upon request (if you are lucky), with a coarser consistency for making tamales. (Be careful to differentiate between masa para tamales and masa preparada para tamales; the latter, available at some tortilla factories and large Mexican groceries, is the coarse-textured masa mixed with lard and flavorings.

Answer 2

Tamales and tortillas could be made using the same ingredients: Maseca flour and water.

Tamales are always made with Maseca flour, but there are four types of tortillas:

tortillas de harina or Maseca flour tortillas,

tortillas de maíz or corn flour tortillas,

tortillas azules or blue tortillas, made with blue corn flour,

tortillas moradas or purple tortillas, madre with purple corn flour

Flour tortillas are whiter, bigger and more flexible. This is why burritos are made with flour tortillas. Flour tortillas are used for tacos, quesadillas, ...

Corn tortillas are yellowish, smaller and less flexible. They are usually used for little tacos, tostadas, nachos, ...

You should try to buy Maseca flour and just add water. It will be cheaper and fresher, you can do it the moment you want to start cooking because it is a masa with no rising time.

Answer 3

Fresh masa the type you buy at your local molino is basicalltly the same. The masa for tamales spreads easier on the cor chuck than the masa fo tortillas. Same holds true with maseca for tortilla or for tamales. Maseca is dried corn flour. Fresh masa is made in a molino (tortilla factory).