The success of Masala y Maiz, which had been open for less than six months when it was shuttered, has been built on dishes that painstakingly blend two cultures. Listman, a native of Texcoco in the state of Mexico, explores the history, flavor and politics of corn, or maiz. The masala, the blend of spices specific to a dish, comes via Keval, whose parents moved to the United States from Ethiopia and Kenya; their ancestors came to East Africa from India 200 years before.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 12, 2018 20:18 UTC