Masa harina is dried, powdered nixtamalized corn, made by drying and grinding masa dough so it can be rehydrated with water to make fresh masa on demand. It is the shelf-stable counterpart to fresh masa, used to make tortillas, tamales, and gorditas, and its fine texture also makes it useful as a thickener in some soups and stews and as a coating for fried foods. Masa harina is not interchangeable with cornmeal or flour made from untreated corn: nixtamalization gives it a distinct flavor and binding properties that plain corn flour lacks.