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Masala y Maíz is a restaurant in Mexico City by chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval that explores the migration of ingredients and cooking techniques between India, East Africa, and Mexico. Their food is rooted in years of research and study of both chefs’ family recipes, as well as the movement of ingredients across the three continents.
The “Maíz” in Masala y Maíz refers to native Mexican corn and the deep tradition that sustains its perseverance. “Masala” means a blend of spices in Urdu and Hindi. Both words are central pillars of their philosophy. Committed to sourcing the finest ingredients, Norma and Saqib pursue not only agricultural sustainability but also culture within their cooking. Through their food, they express a gastronomic tradition that is not static, but evolving—a rebellious mestizaje.
Masala y Maíz explores the migration of people, culinary techniques, ingredients, cultural foodways, and political movements between South Asia, East Africa, and Mexico. Chefs Norma and Saqib envisioned Masala y Maíz as a restaurant unlike most others. The restaurant is grounded in years of research by the chefs to understand the intersections of their respective cultures and the many similarities between their food traditions. They cook within those shared flavors and histories. The food is a mestizaje—an organic blending of cultures over generations, often in response to colonization and displacement. This is the in-between culture that emerges when people come together. The cuisine of Masala y Maíz is deeply personal, based on the family recipes and histories of Norma and Saqib.
The restaurant reflects the chefs’ belief that food can be a powerful tool for environmental and social justice, and that chefs have a responsibility to advocate for and work toward improving labor conditions for everyone in the food industry.
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