Nixtamalization is a process that involves cooking corn in water with some alkaline substance, either lime or ash from the fire, to soften the grain and remove the husk before grinding it. Subsequently, the grains are boiled with cold water and lime until the water boils for five minutes, then removed from the heat and left to rest overnight. The nixtamalized corn is rinsed the next day and is then ready to be ground into masa. In many places, it is customary to partially rinse the corn so that it retains the lime and the masa lasts longer.It is important to note that through this nixtamalization process, corn becomes much more nutritious, as the proteins in the grain can only be absorbed once transformed by the alkaline substance.