While making sourdough was becoming trendy during the pandemic, Emmanuel Galvan was diving into the complexities of another beloved food close to his heart and heritage: tortillas. Last year, he launched Bolita, a “micro molino and tortillería,” to introduce Bay Area home cooks to the diversity of Mexican landrace corn and the art of working with fresh masa.
In addition to his flourishing Instagram presence, you’ll find Emmanuel at Mission Community Market on Thursdays offering tortillas and masa in a rainbow of heirloom maíz varietals, as well as handcrafted as salsas, moles, and ready-to-heat items using ingredients from local farms. We spoke with Emmanuel about the origins of Bolita, and why home cooks should roll up their sleeves and get to know the joys of fresh masa.