- [Announcer] "Taste Makers" is brought to you with support from Missouri Pork Association and Global Foods Market.

(upbeat music) (bright music) - In this episode, you are going to meet a woman who is raised in Sonora, Mexico, and is celebrating her culinary heritage by making corn and flour tortillas right here in the heartland.

(bright music) (upbeat music) I'm Cat Neville, and for the past two decades I've been telling the story of local food.

In that time, American food culture has exploded in tiny towns and big cities from coast to coast.

In "Taste Makers," I explore the maker movement and take you along for the journey to meet the makers who define the flavor of American cuisine.

(upbeat music) We're about to head off to Yoli Tortilleria, and when we come back, I'm gonna show you how to make crunchy, savory taquitos with ground pork.

- Our beginnings are very humble in the sense that we really wanted a taste of my hometown.

When we wanted to go ahead and figure out what name to give to our company, we wanted to make sure that was meaningful.

(bright music) First, we wanted something Sonora because that's where I'm from in Mexico.

But that didn't work out because Sonoran names are really difficult to pronounce and very difficult to spell.

And I was like, "Oh, scratch that."

So we're looking and looking, and so Yoli means to live, in Nahuatl, which is the Aztec language.

And we kind of embrace it as our attitude of like, just try new things, live new adventures.

Just live life and enjoy it.

(bright music) - I never imagined that I would be making tortillas, especially in the corporate world.

And, you know, coming from just something that we did at home, trying to make something that we experienced in Marissa's hometown developing into a full-time business.

(bright music) I was not familiar with that style of tortilla until after I met Marissa.

We went to her hometown and I had the food, had the tortillas, it was all over at that point.

I knew what I was missing.

(bright music) - Yoli's corn tortillas are made using an ancient method called nixtamalization where dried corn kernels are soaked and cooked in lime before they're made into masa.

- So nixtamalization is a process that's attributed to the Mesoamerican Times.

We do not know exactly who is responsible for it, but the Aztecs are the ones attributed to the standardization.

So I figured like in millions of years, you know, Bill Gates will be thought about the standardization of computing.

That's kind of like the Aztecs in the tortilla world, right?

It is said that they were washing the corn through the riverbeds and there was limestones, and somehow they figure out when they were cooking that that had a reaction.

And so nixtamalization was born.

Then they figure out, okay, let's go ahead and cook it.

Then you get hominy.

And then it was like, okay, well, if we get hominy, what else can we do?

And that's when they started grinding into masa.

- And so all the corn, when they become corn tortillas, they start here?

- Yeah, they start here.

So we first put our batch of corn in here, we clean it off, rinse it off, and then we put water in an alkaline solution.

We use lime, the mineral, I always wanna clarify, it's not the lime that you put in your margaritas.

- So it's called nixtamalization.

- Nixtamalization is an ancient process.

It takes the outer layer of the corn kernel and it softens it.

And so do it to certain temperature.

We turn the heat off, we let it sit overnight, come in the next day and we rinse it.

And what's gonna happen is that part of the corn kernel that is no longer digestible is gonna peel off as it does that because we introduce the mineral into it, the corn absorbs all those minerals, which that's what makes corn tortilla so healthy.

- [Catherine] How many ingredients are in your tortillas?

- [Marissa] Three.

Corn, water and lime.

- And that's it.

- That's it.

- So all of the binding that happens in the dough, that's all just a natural- - All just natural process.

Just like it used to be hundreds of years ago.

- So after the corn is nixtamalized- - Yes.

- Then what?

- Then we've come in here and grind it.

We have this two volcanic stones.

- [Catherine] This design is- - Ancient, it's from the Aztec time.

So I mean, the first one that they had, it was more like a (speaking in Spanish), which was on the floor.

Yeah, and they did that.

And then they came up with this one.

- [Catherine] They run counter to each other.

The corn comes down the middle and then feeds out of these.

So it gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

- [Marissa] Correct.

Yes.

- It's just a brilliant simple design.

It's so brilliant that it hasn't changed in millennia.

So it's all ground and it falls in here.

- It's all ground, falls in here.

And then we go ahead and put our masa in the mixer and we do that so that everything, the humidity level is just all perfect all around.

And then this gets puts in our feeder.

(upbeat music) - The machine that makes the corn tortillas has a die cutter.

So as the masa gets extruded through our masa feeder into the rollers, which determines the thickness, it die cuts the size, which allows us to do different sizes with the different corn types.

(upbeat music) Then the tortilla oven mimics cooking on the flat top or a Kamal.

So it cooks the first side, cooks the other side, and then cooks that first side one last time, which will create that puff.

(bright music) - This is a famous puff.

And what you really have is two sides of the tortilla.

A lot of people don't know that.

You have more of the solid side, and this is where it all puff up.

And we call this little belly, (speaking in Spanish).

- I love it.

- And so when you're making your taco, you're supposed to put your meats in here and this is gonna suck up all your juices.

- Okay, that is life changing.

Now that I know that I will be looking for the little belly on every one of my fresh tortillas.

That's amazing.

(Cat laughing) (bright music) Masa can be made using pretty much any kind of corn, but at Yoli they use heritage varieties because they're gorgeous and also because they impart lots of fun flavors.

(bright music) - We use four different types of corn: white corn, yellow corn, blue corn and red corn.

The white corn is gonna have the most mild flavor.

The yellow corn is gonna have a stronger corn flavor, but very similar to the white.

Blue and red are both gonna be on the earthy side.

Red just has a slight sweetness when you're finishing.

(bright music) - [Marissa] There's about 72 commercially available corn varieties in Mexico alone.

- [Catherine] Wow.

- And they said that there's a lot more types of corn.

And obviously what I'm focused is in the Midwest region.

So I'm working, you know, to figure out what are other varieties of Native American corn are available here for us.

And so that's kind of like a lot of what we work on, testing and learning of what's available to us, and of course, different techniques of how to treat that and what that might be best used for.

Because not every corn is good for tortillas, I can tell you that.

- Well, and you're working with the University of Missouri on a corn diversity project.

Can you tell me about that?

- Yes, yes.

The University of Missouri and I got in touch a while back.

They have a farmer that has been creating a network through United States and probably through all the way to South America about all the different corn varieties that we have in the Americas, because corn was born in Mexico, but then it went up and down, right?

And so he's been trying to do this large network of farmers to go ahead and promote what is possible.

And they drop like packages and packages of corn here.

And what we're doing little by little is just like nixtamalizing, annotating what we did, the level of, you know, alkaline solution, temperature, everything, and then we process it.

And we'll tell them, this is a great product for tortilla, this is a great product for masa, or this one probably should just be a decoration on the Thanksgiving table.

- The university is helping to support the introduction of genetic diversity in corn.

Where over the past 50 years, what we've been doing is creating monocultures and taking the diversity out, now we're starting to see this reverse for flavor and for different applications.

And so that's really gonna make a huge impact.

- Huge impact, because if you're a farmer, you're gonna farm it, you want someone to consume it and buy it.

So if they have a buyer, that really changes the dynamic of how they're gonna practice.

And so I think that that's huge.

The other thing is, you know, the State of Missouri and the State of Kansas had really bad droughts.

And so we have to start thinking about, hey, what's our ecosystem and what should we change?

Some of this are very drought tolerant, and so maybe we should start farming that versus poisoning our land and things that don't work.

- And that's how change happens.

You know, it's like you need to go in and give people the opportunity and an incentive to be growing these different products and using them for whatever reason.

And you're part of that?

- Yes.

- That's really cool.

- And again, we feel that it's part of our responsibility, and we are very proud that we can contribute to it.

- Here at Yoli, they are dedicated to local collaborations and sourcing local ingredients whenever possible.

So now we're heading off to the farm where some of their heritage varieties of corn are grown.

(bright music) So I'm standing here with David, and you have a three acre plot of corn here that's heritaged.

So how did you get to know Marissa?

- We had a mutual friend and I was sort of hobbying around with heirloom corns and different colors and varieties, and was talking to my friend, and he goes, "Well, I know a lady that has a tortilla factory."

And I said, "That's a very good person to know for someone raising corn."

And so we took her some samples and she likes being able to get some things that maybe they couldn't get except for down in Mexico, but, you know, to be able to grow it local here.

So it's been a really good partnership.

- [Catherine] You have a diversified farm, you have hogs, you have, you know, acres of row crops, so why get into heritage corn?

- The truly honest answer is that yellow number two corn gets a little boring after a while.

And people I raise yellow number two corn for, don't have a taco pop up at a micro brewery featuring your corn (both laughing) that you can go to.

So, so yeah, it's just a lot of fun.

And then I like to know where my products go in the end.

And so getting to see it go into a tortilla is nice.

- Yeah.

But that's really what this is all about, is, you know, getting those connections that are made where in the community it's not just a commodity, it's something where relationships are built and you're benefiting each other.

- Yeah, absolutely.

I love that.

That's my favorite part of it, getting to meet different people.

- So can we take a look at the corn?

- Yeah, let's go see what we've got.

- Okay.

- [David] So there is some bloody butcher.

- It's beautiful.

- [David] Yeah.

It really imparts a nice butterscotch flavor.

- And I think that's also something that's really surprising about corn.

Like, we're so used to just going to the grocery store, getting an ear of yellow corn or white corn, and it has like a specific flavor, but all of these varieties, they're really, they aren't just beautiful, they also have their own flavor characteristic, and textures too.

- Yeah, absolutely.

Marissa looks for different protein levels and things like that because, you know, certain levels of proteins make better tortillas or maybe something else.

And that's what something, as I've learned more about Mexican corn culture is that they have, you know, these specific varieties that you use this corn for this, you know, food item.

- Yeah, that makes sense.

- Another thing you notice is like this ear's up here, this one's down here.

And so when I'm going through the combine, I sort of have to be cognizant of how high the ears are.

If you look at a field of commodity corn, they are like laser level across the field where the ear is on that stock.

- And so it's not efficient, but it's delicious.

- Exactly.

Exactly.

And I think that's the beauty of, you know, like, the slow food movement and stuff is that you lose something when you get efficient.

And so, you know, I talk to Marissa and say what sounds interesting this year to do?

Is there anything specifically you're looking for?

- [Catherine] I think we just take corn for granted.

It's everywhere but it's like a really fascinating plant that has an incredible history.

- [David] Yeah, absolutely.

- And so bringing it back and really being able to celebrate that history, especially with people like Marissa who are, you know, able to connect people to their culture through corn, I mean, it's just, it's fun.

- Corn is not just for pigs anymore, you know?

(laughs) - You heard it here first.

(both laughing) (upbeat music) - Our trajectory of growth at Yoli has always been very organic.

We started from zero and then, you know, little by little, it gets double and double and double.

(upbeat music) It's just very interesting for us as we introduce different products and understanding the restaurant side.

And then now there's this retail and just really learning how the systems work.

(upbeat music) - Marissa is the most creative mind.

She is constantly coming up with new ideas.

(upbeat music) - [Marissa] On our flour tortillas, we make two types, a flour tortilla with pork fat.

It's absolutely beautiful.

And then we make a vegan one with avocado oil.

- On top of tortillas, which is the core, we also make tamales, aguas frescas, salsas, some different prepared foods.

Those are all things that are brewing in Marissa's mind.

(upbeat music) - You obviously have the background of growing up in Mexico.

But you're living here in Kansas City, and so it's marrying these two sides of your life in this really beautiful way.

- Yes, absolutely.

And we get all advice from all the different chefs and they come in and they come with creative ideas and we're more than willing to go ahead and see what happens next.

- So fun.

(upbeat music) - I love to see the creativity that other people have with it.

I mean, that's what food is, right?

It's about transforming.

It's about community coming together and making something even better.

And for me, that's just like mind blowing.

I'm very impressed, and I'm very impressed with the Kansas City community too.

(upbeat music) - And now we're here at the town company at the Kansas City Hotel, and we're going to get in the kitchen with pastry chef, Helen Jo, and taste the sweet side of masa.

(bright music) You actually are like friends with Marissa?

- Oh yeah.

- You aren't just using her product, you have a really great relationship.

- Marissa is definitely a friend.

Since we met at her shop when it opened in 2020, there was an instant connection.

I was not surprised when she was like, you know, "I'd like to come up with a frozen ice cream dessert and be able to use masa in it."

And so I was definitely into it.

(upbeat music) - It's like a sundae presentation, right?

And then there are masa crumbles.

There's masa in the ice cream.

- It is a little bit of a mild flavor in the ice cream, and so, you know, putting it into a crumble really brings it back.

And also as a good textural pop in the dish.

So by having both those together, you get to really experience masa.

(upbeat music) Our ice cream has been spun and it's gotten to freeze up.

And so we did three- - Perfect.

- Perfect scoops.

- Perfect scoops.

(laughs) - Of masa ice cream.

And then for this dish we have a few garnishes: preserved plumbs, the crumbs that we made.

- And the crumbs, obviously they have sugar and brown butter, so they're really complex.

- Yes.

Yeah, while the ice cream is a little more, like, simple and straightforward, this one, yeah, has a little bit of a added sweetness.

We also made a cherry caramel to go with the plumbs.

And then of course vanilla whipped cream.

That's our sundae, our Yoli masa sundae.

- [Catherine] So when people order this, what is their reaction?

- People are like, "Wow, I never had anything like that before.

That's gonna stay in my, like, food memory," you know?

- Can we try it?

- I would love for you to try it.

- Best part.

- Best part for sure.

- Hmm.

Hm-hmm.

Oh my gosh, that's good.

Wow.

The earthiness of the masa really shines through.

And the crumbles, I mean, they just elevate that and add that beautiful kind of textural contrast to the ice cream.

- Thank you.

- That's delicious.

- Yay.

(laughs) - Yeah.

Yay.

- This has been a really fun project to be able to work with Marissa and with Yoli and present it in our restaurant.

(gentle music) - I envision Yoli in general as experience-making.

I wanna go ahead and help people have a taste of the experience that I had as a child traveling through Mexico.

Winning the James Beard Award was incredibly surprising for us.

We are in disbelief still.

- When we won the James Beard Award, we were ecstatic.

And the sense of pride was amazing.

(singers vocalizing) When you see the tortillas out in the community, it's pretty neat to know that they came from Yoli.

Working in the corporate world previously, you didn't have that satisfaction.

You didn't have that view of what was out there.

When it's your product, it's just, it just is different.

(singers vocalizing) - I just love that you're taking this very simple, very traditional ingredient, and yes you're making traditional corn tortillas, obviously you're making the Sonoran wheat tortillas, but then you're really pushing the boundaries of what you can do with that ingredient.

- I just think ingredients should be fun.

There should be no limit to your creativity.

So I think that, I don't know, if we can do something else with the masa, we'll do it.

(singers vocalizing) I was very lucky growing up in Mexico, in Sonora, in the times, you know, mid eighties, it was still a very beautiful time in Mexico.

My mom was a teacher and my dad was a lawyer, and they were both very invested in the idea that you should really learn where you're from.

And my dad loved to eat and he just really was very passionate about it.

And so he would take us to different indigenous populations, so we would learn about how different every single one of them was.

(upbeat music) Sharing my culture is just a privilege.

I'm just very fortunate that I get to share something that I love so much, that I care so deeply for.

And I don't want it to see disappear.

And to taste things that are different, it's gonna teach you a little bit about the differences that we should celebrate and things that we like to eat together so that we are also, you know, the same.

That is what's really important about what we're doing.

I'm always gonna be an eternal optimist.

I'm always gonna think that at the end of the day, flavor and tradition will win.

And so I think that, you know, people will know, people will learn.

And as long as there's many people just like me that are dedicated to the process and the good quality, once you try it, there's no going back.

(upbeat music) - Tortillas seem to be ubiquitous, but once you have a really well-made tortilla, there's no going back.

And I thought for the recipe for this episode, I would kind of play around with the idea of like Taco Tuesday.

So rather than doing tacos, we're doing taquitos.

And so I have a stack of fresh corn tortillas, and I'm going to fill them with ground pork that is seasoned with chiles and onion, and then folded with some melty cheese.

It's gonna be decadent and delicious and very, very easy.

So I'm gonna go ahead and dice up one Serrano pepper and half of a white onion.

(bright music) So I just have a little bit of grape seed oil in my pan, and I'm just gonna saute this until it's soft.

One pound of ground pork is now in the pan.

I have some salt, and of course pepper.

And then oregano and cumin.

(upbeat music) Now I have a whole bunch of chihuahua cheese.

This is decadent.

I have my tortillas wrapped in a towel.

I'm just gonna pop 'em in the microwave so that they get nice and pliable and then I'm gonna stuff them.

So the thing about these tortillas is they can dry out.

So you wanna make sure to go ahead and put a towel over them, keep them nice and cozy.

I'm heading over to the stove.

I'm gonna fry 'em up.

I'm adding each taquito in seam side down so that the cheese will kind of seal everything up.

(bright music) So here is my platter of yummy, cheesy, fried ground pork taquitos.

I'm going to serve these with fresh cilantro, a few chopped tomatoes, and some crema, which is Mexican sour cream.

And I have a wonderful kind of avocado infused hot salsa.

(upbeat music) In each episode, I pair the dishes with an American wine made with either native or hybrid grapes.

And with this spicy Mexican inspired dish, I am going to be pairing it with the vidal blanc, which has a beautiful kind of a fruity nose to it.

But this particular one is vinified with a little bit of residual sugar.

And that is going to go beautifully with the spicy elements.

It's gonna be really complex and delicious.

(taquito crunches) Savory, crunchy, super easy to make with ingredients that are readily available in any grocery store.

I'm gonna sit here and plow my way through the rest of this dish.

Thank you for joining me.

If you're looking for the recipe, everything is on the website, and I'll see you next time.

(upbeat music) Connect with us online at WeAreTasteMakers.com or through social media on these handles.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] "Taste Makers" is brought to you with support from Missouri Pork Association and Global Foods Market.

(upbeat music) (bright music)