Three Sisters Nixtamal is synonymous with delicious, scratch-made tortillas, masa, and tortilla chips, but it’s the story behind the name reflects the sustainable, ancestral wisdom that shapes their beloved products.
What began with a friendship, a shared love for food, and an enchiladas Potosinas recipe quickly blossomed into a partnership, and Three Sisters Nixtamal formed in 2010.
Co-owners Wendy Downing, Adriana Azcárate-Ferbel, and Pedro Ferbel-Azcárate started Three Sisters Nixtamal to bring the traditional culinary treasures from Mexico City—where Adriana grew up—to Portland. However, recognizing how corn, an ingredient prevalent in the traditional foods from the region, is often grown from GMO seeds and with dangerous pesticides, the trio agreed to use only the highest quality organic corn in their products.
Three Sisters Nixtamal's traditional organic corn tortillas and stone-ground masa are USDA-Certified Organic by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, ensuring their products have no chemical preservatives, additives, texturizers, or industrialized dried corn flour.
To make them, they use 100% fresh nixtamal from whole dry corn kernels heated in water and calcium hydroxide (also known as slaked lime or cal). This process prepares the corn to make a nutrient-enriched masa—much like archaeological evidence suggests, southeast Mexico and Guatemala's Indigenous peoples used seven to eight thousand years ago.
The company's name originates from another ancestral practice: the polyculture of growing maize, beans, and squash in a symbiotic relationship. The bean vines grow around the corn stalks, helping fix nitrogen in the soil, while the squash provides a shady ground cover that locks in moisture and keeps weeds and insects at bay. The three sister crops, traditionally grown and eaten together, offer environmental sustainability and nutritional balance. This balance beautifully represents the inspiration and cornerstone of Three Sisters' values and philosophy.
If you haven't tried Three Sisters Nixtamal’s corn tortillas, masa, or tortilla chips, now's the time. We've partnered with them since 2013, and their products have been a customer favorite since day one. Find them at your neighborhood New Seasons.
Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Rich in flavor and tradition, this comforting tinga recipe from our friends Wendy and Adriana, co-owners of Three Sisters Nixtamal, combines tender, flavorful shredded chicken with crunchy tostadas made from Three Sisters' tortillas. It's a dish you'll want to make time and time again.
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