Corn husks, hojas de tamales in Spanish, are the outer covering of an ear of corn. Commercially bought Corn husks are commonly the whole husk and are sun, air, or oven dried. For most applications the Corn husks need to be soaked in hot water in order to become pliable. Corn husks are most commonly used to encase foods to be steamed or baked, imparting a very light corn flavor. Corn husks can be used in the presentation of a dish, but are not edible and should be discarded after use.

A cuisine tradition, dried Corn husks are especially popular used for wrapping food in Southwestern cooking. In Southern Mexico, tamales are wrapped in banana leaves. But in Northern Mexico, tamales are wrapped in Corn husks. Traditionally, tamales are made with dried Corn husks that have been soaked until pliable. Native to the New World, corn and its derivatives has been a very valuable food crop at least since the Incas first cultivated this staple vegetable.