Bolita Masa is a fresh masa purveyor that also sells tamales and other bites at farmers’ markets and pop-ups across the Bay Area. At the Mission Community Market and Grand Lake Farmers Market in Oakland, for example, Bolita sells packaged appetizers such as tlacoyos filled with beans and hoja santa ($15), and the triangle-shaped Oaxacan street snack tetelas, which are filled with mushroom and epazote ($15).
The menu changes often, but past vegan options have included tamales and fresh fruit topped with Chamoy, a sour-sweet sauce made from pickled fruit.
For farmers’ markets, Bolita cooks the vegan options earlier in the day or on different days to avoid cross-contamination. Equipment is washed and sanitized after non-vegan products touch the equipment.
For pop-ups serving hot food, Bolita tries to keep a smaller griddle exclusively for vegan dishes. But when there is no space, vegan items are placed on one half, while non-vegan dishes are on the other.