"Cacahuazintle" or "cacahuacintle" (Náhuatl "cacahuacentli" 'pineapple-cocoa cob/cacao-like corn', from "cacahuatl" 'cacao' and "centli" or "cintli" 'corn on the cob') is the name of an old heirloom variety of white dent maize (corn) originating in Mexico. It has a large ear with grains that are more white, round, and tender than the typical field corn grain. The dried grains are soaked and/or cooked in water with lime or wood ash, then rinsed thoroughly to remove the outer seed coat as well as any traces of the alkali salts (from the lime or ash)—this is an ancient process called nixtamalization. This creates a fresh, wet hominy, which can be dried for later use or ground into a flour called masa to make tortillas, tamales, atole, pozole, etc... (the dry hominy can also be ground to make