Masala y Maíz

Masala y Maíz is a restaurant in Mexico City from chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval that explores the migration of ingredients and cooking techniques between India, East Africa and Mexico. Their food is based on years of research and study of both their family recipes, as well as the movement of ingredients between three continents. The “Maíz” of Masala y Maiz refers to the native corn of Mexico and all the tradition that supports its perseverance. “Masala” means in Urdu and Hindi a mixture of spices. Both words are central axes of his philosophy. Committed to the search for the best ingredients, Norma and Saqib seek not only agricultural sustainability, but also a culture in their cuisine. Through their food they express a gastronomic tradition that is not static, that changes; It is a rebellious mix. Masala y Maiz explores the migration of people, culinary techniques, ingredients, cultural food ways and political movements between South Asia, East Africa & Mexico. Chefs Norma & Saqib dreamed Masala y Maiz as a restaurant like few others. The restaurant is based on years of research by the chefs to understand the intersections of their respective cultures and the many similarities between their foodways. They cook in those shared flavors and histories. The food is a mestizaje- an organic blending of cultures over generations often in response to colonization & displacement. This is the culture in-between that happens when people come together.