Food Wine Travel Magazine

Page 24

By Priscilla Willis

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amales are a Mexican Christmas tradition that is beloved by many nonHispanics as well. Families, including my own, order tamales from their favorite Mexican restaurant or through an inside connection who knows someone who makes tamales to sell during the holidays.

Aracely added that, besides making tamales, the other tradition is a tired and cranky mother on Christmas Day (wink). Nonetheless, she is learning to make tamales and other Latin dishes so her family can appreciate the foods of their heritage. Using fresh unprepared masa and corn husks purchased at Latin markets makes the best tamales. Traditionally masa is mixed with lard, but Jose na uses soybean oil and olive oil rather than animal fat because she has diabetes, and it's a healthier alternative. The substitution can result in the masa being a little drier and less u y. In addition, garlic, onion, and water from the cooked meat add avor to the masa. Jose na doesn't have a recipe, but if you want to make tamales, this recipe from All Recipes is similar. Perfecting a dough (masa) that will be u y, not heavy, when steamed is the trickiest part of tamale making and, just like anything else, takes practice.

How Did Tamales Become a Christmas Tradition? The tradition of tamales dates back to MesoAmerican times when long before the Spaniards arrived, Mesoamericans believed that God crafted humans from corn. "Quite literally, corn was their substance of life. Because corn was so important, preciously wrapped tamales became a part of ritual o erings, a human stand-in, of sorts. "When the conquistadors came, and human sacri ce was no longer acceptable, they used tamales as a substitute, placing l little bundles of corn as o erings," says Alarcón.

Tamale llings vary by region (as do the wrappers and masa); savory llings from shrimp to a rich, dark mole to sweet fruit llings such as pineapple and raisins. Jose na is from Sinaloa in northern Mexico, where they use more vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Probably the most common lling is pork with Pasilla chiles.

To this day, the most sacred occasions in Mexico—baptisms, rst communions, and special wedding anniversaries—are still marked with the ritual of tamale making”. ~ Seattle PI

Organization is the other key to tamale success. Before starting the actual assembly, have your steamer prepared, the llings ready to go, and leaf wrappers and ties (if you use them) soaked and cleaned. Then, steam the tamales for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on size and thickness.

How to Make Tamales I witnessed the art of tamale making from my friend Aracely's mom, Jose na Vega, who makes 200-300 tamales every Christmas. She carries on the tradition of beginning at midnight on Christmas eve and working until 4 or 5 a.m. making the masa, slow-cooking the meat, soaking the corn husks, and assembling the tamales.

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Tamales—A Mexican Christmas Tradition


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