A tamale, in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
tamal, is a traditional
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ...
n dish made of
masa
''Masa'' (or ''masa de maíz'') (; ) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, '' gorditas'', ''tamales'', '' pupusas'', and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into ...
, a dough made from
nixtamalized
Nixtamalization () is a process for the preparation of corn, or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater (but sometimes aqueous alkali metal carbonates), washed, and then hulled. The term ...
corn, which is
steamed
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking hav ...
in a corn husk or banana leaf.
The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats,
cheeses, fruits, vegetables, herbs,
chilies, or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.
''Tamale'' is an
anglicized
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...
version of the Spanish word (plural: ). comes from the
Nahuatl . The English "tamale" is a
back-formation
In etymology, back-formation is the process or result of creating a new word via inflection, typically by removing or substituting actual or supposed affixes from a lexical item, in a way that expands the number of lexemes associated with the ...
of , with English speakers interpreting the ''-e-'' as part of the
stem, rather than part of the plural
suffix ''-es''.
Origin
Tamales originated in
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ...
as early as 8000 to 5000 BC.
The preparation of tamales is likely to have spread from the indigenous cultures in
Guatemala and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
to the rest of Latin America. According to archaeologists
Karl Taube,
William Saturno
William Andrew "Bill" Saturno (born Albany, New York) is an American archaeologist and Mayanist scholar who has made significant contributions toward the study of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Saturno is a former director of the ''Proyecto ...
, and
David Stuart, tamales may date from around 100 AD. They found pictorial references in the ''Mural of San Bartolo'', in Petén, Guatemala.
The
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...
and
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...
civilizations, as well as the
Olmec
The Olmecs () were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. It has been speculated that ...
and
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE. T ...
before them, used tamales as easily portable food, for hunting trips, and for traveling large distances, as well as supporting their armies.
Tamales were also considered sacred, as they were seen as the food of the gods. The Aztec, Maya, Olmecs, and Toltecs all considered themselves to be people of corn, so tamales played a large part in their rituals and festivals.
Caribbean
Cuba
In
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, before the 1959 Revolution, street vendors sold Mexican-style tamales wrapped in corn husks, usually made without any kind of spicy seasoning. Cuban tamales being identical in form to those made in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
suggests they were brought over to Cuba during the period of intense cultural and musical exchange between Cuba and Mexico after the 1920s.
A well-known Cuban song from the 1950s, "", (a
cha-cha-cha
Cha cha cha may refer to:
* ''Cha-cha-chá'' (music), a style of Cuban dance music
* Cha-cha-cha (dance), a Latin American dance accompanying the music
Film and television
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' (film), a 2013 Italian crime film
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' ...
sung by
Orquesta Aragón
Orquesta Aragón is a Cuban musical band formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name ''Ritmica 39'', then ''Ritmica Aragón'' before settling on its final form. Though they did not ...
) celebrated the delicious tamales sold by a street vendor in Cienfuegos. A peculiarly Cuban invention is the dish known as , basically consisting of tamale masa with the meat stuffing stirred into the masa, and then cooked in a pot on the stove to form a kind of hearty cornmeal porridge.
Dominican Republic
In the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, are Dominican tamales stuffed with ''
picadillo
Picadillo (, "mince") is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. It is made with ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and also raisins, olives, and other ingredien ...
''. The name has its origin from the native
Taíno
The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...
s.
Puerto Rico
''
Guanime
Guanimes are a prepared food that can be traced back to the pre-Columbian era in Puerto Rico.
Origin
Guanimes are related to tamales and hallacas. Cornmeal masa is wrapped in corn husk stuffed with meat, nuts, fish, beans, or nothing at all. They ...
'' is a
Puerto Rican dish that can be traced back to pre-Columbian times. It consists of corn masa that is stuffed with beans, seafood, nuts, or meat, and then wrapped in corn husks slowly cooked on a grill.
are prepared in a plain version, without the stuffing, and served with stewed salted cod fish. Since the arrival of Europeans, have lost their stuffing. Contemporary are made with corn masa seasoned with coconut milk, lard, broth, and annatto, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk.
The several versions of can be made with green plantains,
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
, and a sweet version made with sweet plantains and cornmeal.
The is also related to the
pastel, a root tamale dating to around the same time as the native Taíno .
Trinidad and Tobago
In
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
, it is called a ''pastelle'' and is popular in many households during the entire Christmas season and New Year celebrations. It is usually made with cornmeal and filled with cooked, seasoned meat (chicken and beef being the most popular), raisins, olives, capers, and other seasonings. The entire ''pastelle'' is wrapped in a banana leaf, bound with
twine
Twine is a strong thread, light string or cord composed of two or more thinner strands twisted, and then twisted together ( plied). The strands are plied in the opposite direction to that of their twist, which adds torsional strength to the co ...
and steamed. When fully cooked, the banana leaf is removed to reveal the brightly yellow-colored dish. It is often indulged as is or along with a meal. The sweet version is called ''paymee''.
Central America
Belize
The tamale is a staple in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
, where it is also known as ''dukunu'', a sweet corn tamale that gets its name from the
Garifuna
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian ...
people. Dukunus are mostly vegetarian and consist of roasted corn kernels blended with coconut milk as a base. Butter, salt, and sugar are also added. Dukunus filled with different meats are also made.
El Salvador
Tamales are a traditional dish in
El Salvador. Tamales are typically eaten during holidays, like
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
. Tamales have a corn masa base and are wrapped in banana leaves. They contain fillings like chicken, vegetables, and/or beans. Corn tamales, or ''tamales de elote'', are also popular. Bean tamales, or ''tamales pisques'', are also consumed, typically during
Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
.
Guatemala
Pre-Columbian Guatemala
In the classical times of the Maya of
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
(Guatemala in particular), the great Mayan lords delighted in a baked dough bun during the
winter solstice
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter ...
, made of
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
mixed with turkey, ''tepezcuintle'' (
lowland paca
The lowland paca (''Cuniculus paca''), also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from east-central Mexico to northern Argentina, and has been introduced to Cuba and Algeria.
The animal is cal ...
) or venison, spices, and chili pepper, among other ingredients.
This meal was later integrated into modern Guatemalan traditions. For example, on Christmas Eve, families prepare black, red, or sweet tamales for family and friends to show gratitude. The tamales are often accompanied with chocolate, yolk bread, and punch, and participate in the
Mass of Gallo, at midnight.
In Guatemala, eating tamales at midnight on December 24 and 31 is customary. Guatemalans also eat tamales for holiday celebrations, birthdays, and baptisms, so the tamale is considered an important dish in the culture of Guatemala.
Guatemala has many tamale varieties, from the traditional corn-husked tamale called a , to a sweet version of tamale, which uses the same corn dough, but is seasoned with honey or sugar combined with chocolate, almonds, plums, seeds, and peppers. Tamales are sold in stores and private homes (especially on Saturdays). A red light on a home at night is a sign that tamales are for sale at that home.
Varieties
*Red tamales owe their name to achiote and tomato and are made with corn dough stuffed with ''
recado rojo
''Recado rojo'' or achiote paste is a popular blend of spices. It is now strongly associated with Mexican and Belizean cuisines, especially of Yucatán and Oaxaca. The spice mixture usually includes annatto, oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black p ...
'', raisins, chili peppers, chicken, beef or pork wrapped in banana leaves.
*Cambray tamales contain raisins and almonds. Sweet tamales are filled with sweet . Black tamales are named after the color that chocolate gives them. Chipilin tamales wrapped in corn husks, parrot tamales, and corn tamales among others are also made. Cream tamales and cheese and anise seeds are also mixed with corn tamales.
* is a typical and emblematic dish of Guatemala. It is a variation of the tamale made with corn dough, but a firmer consistency, although lard can be added to the dough to generate a more pleasant taste and consistency. It is usually mixed with of tomato and with a filling that can be with chicken, beef, or pork. It is wrapped with dried cob leaves (tusa or bender). In some places, it is accompanied by cheese, sauce, or both.
*Rice tamales come from the Guatemalan highlands, where the typical corn dough is replaced by a thick dough of annealed rice with water and salt. The preparation of the does not differ much from the original, since only some regions have the ingredients with which it is made.
* is a tamale particularly from the highlands of Guatemala that uses
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
instead of
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
for the dough.
* or is dough only, with no meats or other fillings. This dish is used to accompany a meal and used to scoop food on the plate, or just eaten plain along with the main dish.
Nicaragua
![Nacatamal with banana leaf and aluminum foil](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Nacatamal_with_banana_leaf_and_aluminum_foil.jpg)
The most popular version of the Tamal in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
is the ''
nacatamal
A ''nacatamal'' is a traditional dish found in Nicaragua and Honduras similar to the ''tamal'' and to the ''hallaca''. Its name originates from the Nawat language spoken by the Nicarao, which were situated on the Southern Pacific coast of Nicar ...
'' and sometimes serves as an entire meal in itself. It is a traditional dish with indigenous origins. The name comes from the
Nawat
Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nicarao) is a Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan family. It was spoken in several parts of present-day Central America before the Spanish c ...
language spoken by the
Nicarao, who were situated on the Southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, and translates to "meat tamale". The is perhaps the most produced within traditional
Nicaraguan cuisine
Nicaraguan cuisine includes a mixture of indigenous Native American cuisine, Spanish cuisine, and Creole cuisine. Despite the blending and incorporation of pre-Columbian and Spanish-influenced cuisine, traditional cuisine differs on the Pacifi ...
and it is an event often reserved for Sundays at mid-morning. It is usually eaten together with fresh bread and coffee. Enjoying during special occasions and to invite extended family and neighbors to also partake is a common occurrence.
are much larger in size in comparison to their counterparts, and made up of mostly nixtamalized corn (a kind of
dough
Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavenin ...
traditionally made from a process called ) and
lard). The masa and liquified concoction of onion, garlic, tomato, salt, (
annatto
Annatto ( or ) is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree ('' Bixa orellana''), native to tropical America. It is often used to impart a yellow or orange color to foods, but sometimes also for its f ...
),
naranja agria and
bell pepper is cooked and the result becomes the base for the nacatamal and it is also referred to as . This base is ladled onto plantain leaves used for wrapping into large individual portions. The filling usually consists of annatto-seasoned pork meat, rice, slices of
potatoes, bell peppers,
tomatoes
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
, and
onions
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...
;
olives, spearmint sprigs, and
chile , a very small, egg-shaped chile found in Nicaragua. On occasion, prunes, raisins, or capers can be added. The ''masa'' and filling are then wrapped in plantain leaves, tied with a string, and made into pillow-shaped bundles – . They are then steamed or
pressure-cooked for several hours. The entire process is very labor-intensive, and it often requires preparation over the course of two days; involving the whole family may be needed to complete it.
Varieties
* Are a much simpler version of a tamal in Nicaragua, they are wrapped in a banana leaf, and are eaten with cheese and cooked red beans.
* have a sweet flavor, filled with a mixture of ground beans sweetened with cane sugar or
rapadura
Panela () or rapadura (Portuguese pronunciation: ) is an unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Central and Latin America. It is a solid form of sucrose derived from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice. Panela is known by other na ...
and are wrapped in banana leaves. They serve as a dessert.
* Is made with tender corn grains that gives it a slightly sweet flavor and wrapped in corn husks. It is generally eaten accompanied by quesillo or cheese, and sour cream.
*. A variety of the above stuffed with a mixture of rapadura and grated or ground cheese.
*. A Northern Nicaraguan tamal make with chicken or hen meat, wrapped in a banana leaf and tied
* Is a Western Nicaraguan tamal mostly found in
León. that consists of masa mixed with mashed green plantain, sugar, honey and salt. It's wrapped in tempisque or fig leaf and cooked.
Mexico
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
Pre-Columbian Mayas
In the pre-Columbian era, the
Mayas ate tamales and often served them at feasts and festivals. The
Classic Maya
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
hieroglyph for tamales has been identified on pots and other objects dating back to the
Classic Era (200–1000 CE), although they likely were eaten much earlier. While tortillas are the basis for the contemporary Maya diet, remarkably little evidence exists for tortilla production among the Classic period Maya. A lack of griddles in the archaeological record suggests that the primary foodstuff of the Mesoamerican diet may have been the ''tamal'', a cooked, vegetal-wrapped mass of maize dough.
[Taube, K. A. (1989). The maize tamal in Classic Maya diet, epigraphy, and art. American Antiquity, 54(1), 31-51.] Tamales are cooked without the use of ceramic technologies and therefore the form of the tamale is thought to predate the tortilla. Similarities between the two maize products can be found in both the ingredients and preparation techniques, and the linguistic ambiguity exhibited by the pan-Mayan term ''wa'' referring to a basic, daily consumed maize product that can refer to either tortillas or tamales.
Aztecs
In the pre-Columbian era, the Aztecs ate tamales with fillings such as turkey, flamingo, frog, ''
axolotl
The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. I ...
'',
pocket gopher
Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They are ...
, rabbit, fish, turkey eggs, honey, fruits, squash, and beans, and even no filling.
Aztec tamales differed from modern tamales by not having added fat.
One of the most significant rituals for the Aztecs was the feast of Atamalcualiztli (eating of water tamales). This ritual, held every eight years for a whole week, was done by eating tamales without any seasoning, spices, or filling, which allowed the maize freedom from being overworked in the usual tamale cooking methods.
Modern Mexico
![Tamal de zarzamoras](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Tamal_de_zarzamoras.png)
In
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, tamales begin with a dough made from ground
nixtamalized
Nixtamalization () is a process for the preparation of corn, or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater (but sometimes aqueous alkali metal carbonates), washed, and then hulled. The term ...
corn (
hominy), called ''
masa
''Masa'' (or ''masa de maíz'') (; ) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, '' gorditas'', ''tamales'', '' pupusas'', and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into ...
'', or alternatively a rehydrated ''masa'' powder, such as
Maseca
Gruma, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Gruma, is a Mexican multinational corn flour (masa) and tortilla manufacturing company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the largest corn flour and tortilla manufacturer in t ...
. It is combined with lard or vegetable shortening, along with broth or water, to bring the dough to the consistency of a very thick batter. It is traditional to whisk the lard, and whisk the resulting batter, with the intent of producing the signature soft and fluffy texture. Modern recipes may use baking powder to achieve a similar effect. Chili purees or dried chili powders are also occasionally added to the batter, which in addition to the spice can cause some tamales to appear red in color. Tamales are generally wrapped in corn
husks or
plantain
Plantain may refer to:
Plants and fruits
* Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking
** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa''
* ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...
leaves before being steamed, with the choice of husk depending on the region. They usually have a sweet or savory filling and are usually steamed until firm.
Tamale-making is a ritual that has been part of Mexican life since pre-Hispanic times, when special fillings and forms were designated for each specific festival or life event. Today, tamales are typically filled with meats, cheese, or vegetables, especially chilies. Preparation is complex and time-consuming, and an excellent example of Mexican communal cooking, where this task usually falls to the women. Tamales are a favorite
comfort food
Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may app ...
in Mexico, eaten as both breakfast and dinner, and often accompanied by hot ''
atole
''Atole'' (, from Nahuatl '' ātōlli'' ), also known as ''atolli'' and ''atol de elote'', is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mexican origin. Chocolate ''atole'' is known as ''champurrado'' or ''atole''. It typically accom ...
'' or ''
champurrado
Champurrado is a chocolate-based ''atole'', a warm and thick Mexican beverage. It is prepared with either '' masa de maíz'' (lime-treated corn dough),'' masa harina'' (a dried version of this dough), or corn flour (simply very finely ground d ...
'' and ''
arroz con leche'' (rice porridge, "rice with milk") or maize-based beverages of indigenous origin. Street vendors can be seen serving them from huge, steaming, covered pots () or ''
ollas''.
Instead of corn husks, banana or plantain leaves are used in tropical parts of the country, such as
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
,
Chiapas,
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, and the
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
. These tamales are rather square in shape, often very large—15 inches (40 cm)—and these larger tamales are commonly known as ''pibs'' in the Yucatán Peninsula. Another very large type of tamale is , made in the
Huasteca
La Huasteca is a geographical and cultural region located partially along the Gulf of Mexico and including parts of the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Guanajuato. It is roughly de ...
region of Mexico. Depending on the size, can feed between 50 and 200 people; they are made during festivals and holidays, for
quinceañeras, and on Sundays to be sold at the markets.
South America
Humita
Humita (from Quechua ''humint'a'') is a Native South American dish from pre-Hispanic times, a traditional food from the Andes and it can be found in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Northwest Argentina. It consists of fresh choclo (Peruvian m ...
s (from Quechua humint'a) is a Native South American dish from pre-Hispanic times, a traditional food from the Andes and it can be found in
Bolivia,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
, and Northwest
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. It consists of fresh
choclo
Choclo, also referred to as Peruvian corn or Cuzco corn (after Cuzco, the capital city of the Inca empire), is a large-kernel variety of field corn from the Andes. It is consumed in parts of Central America and South America, especially in Ecuad ...
(Peruvian corn) pounded to a paste, wrapped in a fresh corn husk, and slowly steamed or boiled in a pot of water. In Bolivia it is known as huminta and in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
as
pamonha
Pamonha () is a traditional Brazilian food. It is a boiled paste made from sweet corn whisked in coconut milk, typically served wrapped in corn husks.
See also
* Bollos (Panamanian cuisine)
*Chimaki, from Japan
* Humita
*List of Brazilian dishe ...
.
Venezuela
Hallaca
Hallaca (, ; alt. spelling, ''hayaca'' and ''ayaca'') is a traditional dish from Venezuela that looks like a tamal, though different in flavour, texture, ingredients and cultural significance. It consists of corn dough stuffed with a stew of bee ...
is a traditional meal from Venezuela that resembles the aspect of a tamal. It consists of corn dough stuffed with a stew of beef, pork, or chicken and other ingredients such as raisins, capers, and olives, fresh onion rings, red and green bell pepper slices. There are also vegetarian options with black beans or tofu. Hallacas are folded in plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled. The dish is traditionally served during the Christmas season and has several regional variants in Venezuela. It has been described as a national dish of Venezuela but it can be found also in variants. A characteristic of the hallaca is the delicate corn dough made with consommé or broth and lard colored with annatto.
Peru
Tamales were one of the dishes that the gay, Peruvian chef
Juan Jose Cabezudo
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
was famous for serving from his food stand near the
Plaza Mayor in Lima.
Philippines and Guam
![Binaki (Steamed Corn Cake) 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Binaki_%28Steamed_Corn_Cake%29_1.jpg)
In the Philippines and Guam, which were governed by Spain as a province of Mexico, different forms of tamale-like foods exist. In the Philippines, they merged with the native leaf-wrapped rice cakes (''
kakanin
A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...
'') and are made with a dough derived from ground rice and are filled with seasoned chicken or pork with the addition of peanuts and other seasonings such as sugar. In some places, such as Pampanga, where it is popularly known as ''bobotu'', and Batangas provinces, the tamales are wrapped in banana leaves, but sweet corn varieties from the Visayas region are wrapped in corn husks similar to the sweet corn tamales of the American Southwest and Mexico. Because of the work involved in the preparation of tamales, they usually only appear during the special holidays or other big celebrations. Various recipes have practically disappeared under the pressures of modern life and the ease of fast food. Several varieties of tamales are also found in the Philippines.
Tamales, ''tamalis'', ''tamalos'', and ''pasteles'' are different varieties found throughout the region. Some are sweet, some are savory, and some are sweet and savory. Mostly wrapped in banana leaves and made of rice, either the whole grain or ground and cooked with coconut milk and other seasonings, they are sometimes filled with meat and seafood, or are plain and have no filling. There are certain varieties, such as ''tamalos'', that are made of a sweet corn masa wrapped in a corn husk or leaf. There are also varieties made without masa, like ''tamalis'', which are made with small fish fry wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, similar to the from Mexico, where the small fish are cooked whole with herbs and seasonings wrapped inside a corn husk without masa. The number of varieties has dwindled through the years so certain types of tamales that were once popular in the Philippines have become lost or are simply memories. The variety found in Guam, known as ''tamales guiso'', is made with corn masa and wrapped in corn husks, and as with the Philippine tamales, are clear evidence of the influence of the galleon trade that occurred between the ports of Manila and Acapulco.
United States
![Mississippi tamale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Mississippi_tamale.jpg)
Tamales have been eaten in the United States since at least 1893, when they were featured at the
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
.
In 1894, when tamales were the most popular ethnic food in Los Angeles,
XLNT Foods started making them. The company is the oldest continuously operating Mexican food brand in the United States, and one of the oldest companies in Southern California.
A tradition of roving tamale sellers was documented in early 20th-century
blues music
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
.
They are the subject of the well-known 1937 blues/ragtime song "
They're Red Hot
"They're Red Hot" is a song written and performed by Delta blues musician Robert Johnson.
The song was recorded on November 27, 1936, in an improvised studio in Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, Texas. Vocalion Records issued it on a 78 rpm record, w ...
" by
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
.
While Mexican-style and other Latin American-style tamales are featured at ethnic restaurants throughout the United States, some distinctly indigenous styles also are made.
The
Choctaw and
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classif ...
make a dish called ''banaha'', which can be stuffed or not (plain). Usually, the filling (range from none, fried bacon, turkey, deer, nuts, and vegetables such as onions, potatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes) can either be filled or mixed with the masa and steamed in a corn husk.
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
tamales, also known as bean bread or "broadswords", were made with hominy (in the case of the Cherokee, the masa was made from corn boiled in water treated with wood ashes instead of lime) and beans, and wrapped in green corn leaves or large tree leaves and boiled, similar to the meatless pre-Columbian bean and masa tamales still prepared in Chiapas, central Mexico, and Guatemala.
In the
Mississippi Delta, African Americans developed a spicy tamale made from
cornmeal instead of masa, which is boiled in corn husks. This is sometimes called a "hot tamale".
In northern Louisiana, tamales have been made for several centuries. The Spanish established presidio
Los Adaes
Los Adaes was the capital of Tejas on the northeastern frontier of New Spain from 1729 to 1770. It included a mission, San Miguel de Cuellar de los Adaes, and a presidio, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes (Our Lady of the Pillar of the Adae ...
in 1721 in modern-day
Robeline, Louisiana
Robeline is a village in western Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 183 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Robeline was the capital of Texas for 50 years. ...
. The descendants of these Spanish settlers from central Mexico were the first tamale makers to arrive in the eastern US.
Zwolle, Louisiana
Zwolle ( ) is a small town in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,759 at the 2010 census, down from 1,783 in 2000. It was named after Zwolle, a Dutch city in Overijssel.
History
The first inhabitants of the bowl-shap ...
, has a Tamale Fiesta every year in October.
![Tamale pie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Tamale_pie.jpg)
Around the beginning of the 20th century, the name "
tamale pie" was given to meat pies and casseroles made with a cornmeal crust and typical tamale fillings arranged in layers. Although characterized as Mexican food, these forms are not popular in Mexican American culture in which the individually wrapped style is preferred.
The Indio International Tamale Festival held every December in
Indio, California, has earned two Guinness World Records: the largest tamale festival (154 000 in attendance, Dec. 2002) and the world's largest tamale, over 1 foot (0.3 m) in diameter and 40 feet (12.2 m) in length, created by Chef John Sedlar, since beaten by H. Ayuntamiento de Centro Villahermosa (Mexico) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, on 25 November 2018. The current record stands at 50.05 m.
The 2006 Guinness book calls the festival "the world's largest cooking and culinary festival".
See also
*
Ada (food)
Ada ( ml, അട) or Ela Ada, is an Indian sweet and traditional Kerala delicacy, consisting of rice parcels encased in a dough made of rice flour, with sweet fillings, steamed in banana leaf and served as an evening snack or as part of break ...
*
Lepet
Lepet ( Javanese), Leupeut ( Sundanese), or Lepat ( Indonesian) is a type of sticky rice dumpling mixed with peanuts cooked with coconut milk and packed inside a '' janur'' (young coconut leaf) or palm leaf. It is a delicacy commonly found i ...
*
Botok
''Botok'' or ''ꦧꦺꦴꦛꦺꦴꦏ꧀'' ''(Bothok)'' (sometimes called as ''Bobotok'' in its plural form or ''Botok-botok'') is a traditional Javanese dish made from shredded coconut flesh which has been squeezed of its coconut milk, often ...
*
Conkies
*
Hallacas
*
Humitas
Humita (from Quechua ''humint'a'') is a Native South American dish from pre-Hispanic times, a traditional food from the Andes and it can be found in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Northwest Argentina. It consists of fresh choclo (Peruvian m ...
*
List of maize dishes
This is a list of maize dishes, in which maize (corn) is used as a primary ingredient. Additionally, some foods and beverages that are prepared with maize are listed.
Ingredients
Corn can be processed into an intermediate form to be cooked furt ...
*
List of pork dishes
This is a list of notable pork dishes. Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide,Raloff, JanetFood for Thought: Global Food Trends Science News Online. ...
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oy ...
*
Pamonha
Pamonha () is a traditional Brazilian food. It is a boiled paste made from sweet corn whisked in coconut milk, typically served wrapped in corn husks.
See also
* Bollos (Panamanian cuisine)
*Chimaki, from Japan
* Humita
*List of Brazilian dishe ...
*
Pasteles
''Pasteles'' (; singular ''pastel''), also pastelles in the English-speaking Caribbean, are a traditional dish in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, ...
*
Pepes
''Pepes'' is an Indonesian cooking method using banana leaves as food wrappings. The banana-leaf package containing food is secured with ''lidi seumat'' (a small nail made from the central ribs of coconut leaves), and then steamed or grilled on ...
*
Suman (food)
Suman or budbud is a rice cake originating in the Philippines. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, often wrapped in banana leaves, coconut leaves, or ''buli'' or ''buri'' palm (''Corypha'') leaves for steaming. It is usually ...
*
Kenkey
Kenkey (''also known as kɔmi, otim, kooboo or dorkunu'') is a staple dish similar to sourdough dumplings from the Ga and Fante-inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with pepper ''crudaiola'' and fried fish, soup or stew.
Descri ...
*
Tamale Guy
* ''
Zongzi
''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus t ...
''
References
{{Christmas
American cuisine
Ancient dishes
Belizean cuisine
Christmas food
Cuban cuisine
Colombian cuisine
Cuisine of the Southwestern United States
Dominican Republic cuisine
Dumplings
Guamanian cuisine
Guatemalan cuisine
Honduran cuisine
Latin American cuisine
Maize dishes
Mesoamerican cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Philippine cuisine
Pork dishes
Salvadoran cuisine
South American cuisine
Street food
Steamed foods
Stuffed dishes
Street food in Mexico