Tamales, a Mexican Christmas Tradition

Tamales—A Mexican

Christmas Tradition

By Priscilla Willis

Tamales 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.

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 oferings, a human stand-in, of sorts. "When the conquistadors came, and human sacrifice was no longer acceptable, they used tamales as a substitute, placing l little bundles of corn as oferings," says Alarcón.

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

How to Make Tamales

I witnessed the art of tamale making from my friend Aracely's mom, Josefina 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. 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 Josefina 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 flufy. In addition, garlic, onion, and water from the cooked meat add flavor to the masa. Josefina 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 flufy, not heavy, when steamed is the trickiest part of tamale making and, just like anything else, takes practice.

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

Organization is the other key to tamale success. Before starting the actual assembly, have your steamer prepared, the fillings 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.

Photos, from top: Cornhusks for tamales ©Priscilla Willis; Ingredients for making tamales ©Priscilla Willis; Josefina’s homemade tamales ©Priscilla Willis; A plateful of Christmas tamales ©Priscilla Willis; Josefina Vega and her homemade tamales ©Priscilla Willis