Cookbook:Hominy

| Basic foodstuffs | Cereal | Corn

Hominy, also known as nixtamal, is corn treated with an alkaline solution.

Characteristics
To nixtamalize it, the corn is soaked a solution of water and lye or lime before undergoing several rinses, a process that removes the hard outer hull/germ and causes several other key changes. Nutritionally, this makes the protein more digestible and makes essential nutrient niacin more bioavailable. It also causes the kernel to expand significantly and makes the texture somewhat chewier. The flavor is less sweet than unprocessed corn, with an "earthy" or "nutty" flavor. After nixtamalization, the hominy may be dried again.

Hominy is commonly available in both white yellow varieties.

Selection and storage
Whole hominy is usually sold either dried or canned in liquid. The canned hominy may be used as-is, while the dried hominy needs to be soaked and simmered like pulses do. Both canned and dried varieties have a very long shelf life.

Use
Hominy has several uses, primarily in its area of traditional use, such as Mexico and the American Southwest. Whole, it is included in menudo, pozole, hominy bread, hominy chili, casseroles, and fried dishes. It can also be ground to make grits or masa harina.

Substitution
In many cases, hominy can be safely replaced with untreated corn. However, note that the texture will be fairly different.