"I grew up in Napa. My parents are both Mexican. I wanted nothing but to be white. I was actively trying to assimilate and really did not see value in my culture. So part of that image is a bit of forgiveness to that boy who was trying really hard to put aside his ancestry in a way."
"A lot of the masa that you get is made from commodity corn. It's fairly cheap. So the quality of the product isn't very high, and that's because of the economics of this ingredient that's been historically devalued. So I wanted to hopefully share my enthusiasm around masa with as many people as possible."
Emmanuel Galvan, founder of Bolita Masa, grew up in Napa with Mexican parents but initially rejected his cultural heritage, seeking assimilation. Through food, particularly masa—a dough made from nixtamalized ground corn—he has reconciled with his ancestry. Launched in 2020, Bolita Masa aims to educate people about masa's versatility beyond tortillas. Galvan addresses the historical devaluation of masa, noting that most commercial masa uses cheap commodity corn, resulting in low-quality products. In 2023, he relocated to Berkeley Kitchens, where he met chef Kelsie Kerr of Standard Fare. Their friendship led to an agreement for Bolita Masa to take over Standard Fare's space, finalized in November 2025, with a soft opening in late February.
Read at The Oaklandside
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