Tacos made from masa ground daily from heirloom corn varieties including blue maize and landrace white corn, then pressed and cooked immediately on a.
The practice of grinding whole corn (nixtamalized) for fresh masa largely disappeared from El Paso's restaurant scene in the mid-20th century as commercial masa harina became dominant. ELEMI's chef Emiliano Marentes revived the practice in the 2010s using heirloom corn varieties sourced from Mexican cooperatives, earning a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in 2022.
1 editor pick for Heirloom Corn Masa Tacos in El Paso, ranked by editorial score. All El Paso signature dishes · Heirloom Corn Masa Tacos across every city.