Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and ...

This triangle-shaped Mexican street food snack is stuffed with beans and melty cheese.

Simply translated, masa — the foundation for every perfect tortilla, tostada, tamale, pozole, arepa and gordita — means dough. It unites North and South America, defying any one cultural identity.

If you live near a tortilleria, by all means purchase freshly made masa dough for the snacks. Most of us will have access to powdered corn masa in a Mexican market or large grocery store. It’s super ...