{"id":4203,"date":"2010-12-16T08:56:36","date_gmt":"2010-12-16T16:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=4203"},"modified":"2022-10-02T10:35:58","modified_gmt":"2022-10-02T17:35:58","slug":"tamales-a-mexican-holiday-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/tamales-a-mexican-holiday-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"Tamales: A Mexican Christmas Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

Tamales – A Mexican Christmas Tradition<\/h2>\n

If you live in southern California you know that tamales are a Christmas tradition, and being of Hispanic origin is not a prerequisite. During the holidays, homemade tamales are highly coveted; you’ll find families ordering tamales from Mexican restaurants (we ordered ours from Las Barcas, a local neighborhood family-owned restaurant) or from some other inside connection established through a friend or co-worker who knows a family that makes tamales to sell during the holidays.<\/p>\n

Naturally, including the art of tamale-making had to be part of\u00a0my series on preserving traditions through cooking and thanks to Aracely, aka\u00a0Daytripping Mom<\/a>, I was able to experience it first-hand.<\/p>\n

How Did Tamales Become a Christmas Tradition?<\/h2>\n

The tradition of tamales dates back to Meso-American times when, long before the Spaniards arrived, Mesoamericans believed that God crafted humans from corn. “Quite literally, corn was their substance of life.” An excerpt from a Seattle PI article states:<\/p>\n

Because corn was so important, preciously wrapped tamales became a part of ritual offerings, a human stand-in, of sorts. “When the conquistadors came, and human sacrifice was no longer acceptable, they used tamales as a substitute, placing little bundles of corn as offerings,” says Alarc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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How to Make Tamales<\/h2>\n

Enter Josefina Vega, Aracely’s mom, who makes 200-300 <\/span>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 having a tired and cranky mother on Christmas Day \ud83d\ude42 Nonetheless, she is learning to make tamales and other Latin dishes so her family can appreciate the foods of their heritage.<\/p>\n

The best tamales are made from fresh unprepared masa and corn husks purchased at Latin markets. Traditionally masa is mixed with lard, but Josefina uses soybean oil and olive oil rather than animal fat because it’s a healthier alternative and she is diabetic. The substitution can result in the masa being a little drier and less fluffy. Garlic, onion, and water from the cooked meat are added to the masa for flavor. Josefina doesn’t have a recipe but if you would like to try your hand at making tamales, here is one<\/a>. Perfecting a dough (masa) that will be fluffy, not dense, when it is steamed is the trickiest part of tamale making and, just like anything else, takes practice.<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

Tamale fillings vary by region (as do the wrappers and masa); savory fillings from shrimp to a rich, dark mole to sweet fillings of fruit 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. Today, Josefina was making spicy pork tamales, with jalapeno peppers adding the heat – I don’t know about you, but I love spicy! Not hot, just a little kick that fills your mouth and is soothed by a gulp of icy cold beverage.<\/p>\n

\"seeding<\/p>\n

But I digress… The meat mixed with pasilla chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic and onion and is slow-cooked in the oven for several hours. While the meat is cooking, prepare the masa and soak the corn husks in water until they are soft.<\/p>\n

Organization is Key to Tamale Making<\/h2>\n

Organization <\/strong>is the other key to tamale success. <\/span><\/span>Before starting the actual assembly, the fillings should be ready to go, leaf wrappers and ties (if you use them) should be soaked and cleaned, and a steamer should be prepared. Steam the tamales for 30 – 45 minutes depending on size and thickness.<\/p>\n

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Enjoy Mexican Christmas tamales as they are, simply remove the corn husk, or I like to top them with a mango salsa alongside a green salad for a fresh twist.<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

You might also like:<\/p>\n

Enchiladas and Hatch Chile Sauce\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Chicken or Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown Ale, Potato and Cheddar Enchiladas<\/a><\/p>\n