nixtamalization

right|thumb|250px|An 1836 lithograph of [[tortilla production in rural Mexico]] thumb|right|200px|Bowl of hominy (nixtamalized corn kernels)

Nixtamalization ( ) is a process for the preparation of maize (corn), or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater (but sometimes aqueous alkali metal carbonates), washed, and then hulled. The term can also refer to the removal via an alkali process of the pericarp from other grains such as sorghum.