Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nixtamal | /nistaˈmal/ /niʃtaˈmal/ |
masculine |
| nistayol | /nistaʝol/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| nesquisa | /neskisa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| nishtamal | /nistamal/ (from spelling rules) | Guatemala, masculine |
| nistamal (Mesoamerica) | masculine | |
| nesquiza | /neskiθa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /neskisa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Nicaragua, feminine |
| nixtayol (nishtayol) | Central America, masculine |
The term nixtamal refers specifically to the process of treating maize with an alkaline solution, as well as the resulting food product. In Mexico, pozol refers to a traditional corn-based beverage rather than hominy.
Which one should you use?
While nixtamal is the standard masculine form, several variants exist depending on the region and gendered usage. In Central America, you may encounter the masculine form nixtayol (nishtayol). In Guatemala, the word is often spelled and pronounced as nishtamal. In Nicaragua, a feminine variant nesquiza is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Specific forms are used in different areas: nishtamal is common in Guatemala, nesquiza is used in Nicaragua and nixtayol (nishtayol) is found in Central America. The form nistamal (Mesoamerica) is also noted for use within the Mesoamerica region.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form nixtamal is a masculine noun. The variant nesquiza is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/nistaˈmal/
Did you know?
- The process of creating nixtamal unlocks niacin, a B vitamin, which prevented pellagra in ancient Mesoamerican populations.
- The name nixtamal literally describes the way the food is prepared, meaning 'something wrapped in ashes'.
- The various regional forms like nishtamal and nixtayol are direct linguistic descendants of the ancient Nahuatl language.
Examples in context
- Me encanta la sopa de maíz quebrado, es uno de mis platos favoritos.I love broken corn soup, it is one of my favorite dishes.
- El nixtamal es muy suave.The hominy is very soft.
- Me gusta comer nixtamal con sal.I like to eat hominy with salt.
- ¿Prefieres el nixtamal blanco o amarillo?Do you prefer white or yellow hominy?
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are cooking a traditional soup in the kitchen.
- LucíaMateo, ¿ya lavaste el nixtamal?Mateo, did you wash the hominy yet?
- MateoSí, Lucía, ya está listo.Yes, Lucía, it is ready.
- LucíaPerfecto, ponlo ahora en la olla.Perfect, put it in the pot now.
- MateoEstá bien, lo echo ahora mismo.Alright, I'll throw it in right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hominy” translations and entries nixtamal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nixtamal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
