Mexican foods and tortilla-based snacks are becoming more popular in the United States. The rise in Mexican (and Hispanic) population, which increased nearly 61 % in the last decade (I), the acceptability of maize-based snacks by the American consumer, and the competitive price in relation to other ethnic foods are responsible for this boom in the food industry (2). Sales of salty snack foods totaled $5.69 billion in 1982 (3), with maize chips, tortilla chips, potato chips, and nuts as the leading products. Total 1982 sales of maize-based snacks were $1.7 billion, with maize chips and tortilla chips accounting for $1.3 billion (3). Fresh tortillas, nachos, tostadas, enchiladas, and tamales are some of the Mexican products made from alkali-treated maize. Table tortillas are thin, flat disks of masa baked on a hot griddle and used as a substitute for bread with the main meal. Tortilla and corn chips are available in several forms, including doritos, nachos, tostitos, and fritos. Tostadas are fried, flat tortillas topped with refried pinto beans, meat filling, and vegetables. Enchiladas are baked tortillas that have been softened in a red, sweet pepper sauce and oil and then rolled around shredded cheese or meat filling. Tamales are coarse masas wrapped around ground beef or chicken, covered with a maize husk, and steamed. Traditionally, maize is baked with calcium oxide (I% based on grain weight) and water (3:1 water/grain wt) for 50 min, soaked for 15 hr at room temperature, and washed to remove the pericarp and calcium oxide; the resulting product is called nixtamal. Maize nixtamal is stone-ground to masa (dough), kneaded, shaped into flat disks, and made into table tortillas or taco shells by baking or frying the masa, respectively. The nixtamalization technology for masa has been described previously (4). When making instant maize flours for table tortillas and snacks, the grain is nixtamalized, stone-ground, dried. hammer-milled, and sieved to achieve a desired particle size, depending on product characteristics. A nixtamalized instant maize flour is a convenient ingredient because it saves floor space, time, and processing equipment, and requires only rehydration to produce masa. An instant flour is a convenient product to use in preparing fresh tortillas, snacks. and ethnic foods (ie. atole), and it could be used as a thickener in sauces and gravies (5-7). The primary market for Mexican foods is located mainly in the western, southern, and central regions of the United States. but those in the northeast are being developed steadily. Production of instant flour is predicted to increase during the next few years. This research concentrated on the physical, chemical, and functional properties of the most popular nixtamalized flours available in Mexico and the United States. Results obtained could serve as quality criteria when selecting. using, or manufacturing an instant flour through nixtamalization, extrusion cooking, or infrared cooking.

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