Tamales!
Even the word tamales sounds like a celebration. Tamales!
Tamales! Tamales!
 Tamales existed in Mexico even before the Spaniards had
discovered the country. The word is believed to have come from the Nahuatl word
"tamalii." The cooking method almost certainly comes from the Aztec
belief that corn is the source of life.
Although the basic tamal recipe calls for minced meat in a
masa dough steamed in a corn husk--there are many varieties of tamal. In fact,
culinary authorities claim more than 80 varieties, filled with everything from fruit to
hog's head, ranging in size from 3 inches to 3 feet.
In Oaxaca, tamales are
large and decadent--with mole sauce and wrapped in banana leaves. In the Yucatan they are even larger, flavored with
achiotea. Even the name is large in the Yucatan-- pibipolos. Chiapas serves a
tamal similar to Oaxaca--wrapped in banana and served with a lighter, sweeter mole.
Veracruz makes a pork tamal with anise flavoring. Sinaloa tamales may be the most unusual.
There, small tamales are filled with sweetened beans, pineapple and fresh corn. Monterrey
makes the tamale most of us create in our own homes; a small meat and chile tamal wrapped
in corn husks.
We'll talk about putting tamales together next week--Stay tuned!
For now, try out the tamal recipes below. By the way--did you know there's a yearly tamal festival in California?
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Information Sources “Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From The Heart of
Mexico,” "The Art of Spanish Cooking," "the Food
Lover's Companion."
Graphics by Recipegal.
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