A tamale (Spanish tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli), is a traditional Native American food consisting of steam-cooked corn dough (masa) with or without a filling. Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Masa is Spanish for Dough, but in Mexico it sometimes refers to Cornmeal dough ( masa de maíz in Spanish Tamales can be filled with meats, cheese (post-colonial), and sliced chillis or any preparation according to taste. Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation. The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) The chili pepper, chilli pepper, or chili, is the fruit of the plants from the Genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade The tamal is generally wrapped in a corn husk or plantain leaves before cooking, depending on the region from which they come. Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the
Their essence is the corn meal dough made from hominy (called masa), or a masa mix such as Maseca, usually filled with a sweet or savory filling, wrapped in plant leaves or corn husks, and cooked, usually by steaming, until firm. Hominy or nixtamal is dried maize (corn kernels which have been treated with an Alkali of some kind Masa is Spanish for Dough, but in Mexico it sometimes refers to Cornmeal dough ( masa de maíz in Spanish Gruma SAB de CV () is the largest manufacturer of corn flour and Tortillas in the world Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Tamales were developed as a portable ration for use by war parties in the ancient Americas, and were as ubiquitous and varied as the sandwich is today. A sandwich is a food item made of two or more slices of Bread with one or more layers of a filling The diversity of native languages in the pre-Hispanic America led to a number of local words for the tamal, many of which remain in use.
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Tamales in Latin America
Tamales are a favorite dish in Mexico that take several hours to prepare and make. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Street vendors can be seen serving them from huge, steaming, covered pots (tamaleras). In some places like Mexico City, the tamal is often placed inside a wheat bread roll to form a torta de tamal, which is substantial enough to keep the breakfaster going until Mexico's traditionally late lunch hour. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico
The most common filling is pork but chicken is also used, in either red or green salsa or mole. Salsa is the Spanish, Arabic, and Italian word that can refer to any type of Sauce. Mole (ˈmole ( Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mulli or molli, "sauce" is the generic name for several Sauces Another very traditional variation is to add sugar to the corn mix and fill it with raisins or other dried fruit and make a sweet tamal (tamal de dulce). Raisins are dried Grapes They are produced in many regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, Chile, Dried fruit is fruit that has been dried, either naturally or through use of a machine such as a Food dehydrator. Since the cooking of tamales is traditionally done in batches of tens if not hundreds, and the ratio of filling to dough (and the coarseness of the filling) is a matter of discretion, there are commonly a few "deaf", or filling-less, tamal (tamal sordo), which might be served with refried beans and coffee. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Instead of corn husks, banana leaves are used in tropical parts of the country such as the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, and the Yucatán Peninsula. The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), in Spanish phonemically /oa'xaka/ named for its largest city, is one of the Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the republic of Mexico. The Yucatán Peninsula, in Southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. These tamales are rather square in shape, often very large— 15 inches (40 cm) or more— and thick; a local name for these in Southern Tamaulipas is zacahuil. Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states of Mexico, it is located in the northeast To the south, banana-leaf tamales are also common in the neighboring Central American countries. Another less-common variation is to use chard leaves, which can be eaten along with the filling. Chard ( Beta vulgaris var cicla) also known as Swiss Chard, Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach, Crab Beet and Mangold
To make a full meal, the tamal is often accompanied by atole, hot chocolate, or champurrado. Atole ( Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl atolli) is a traditional Cornstarch -based Mexican and Central American (where it is known as Chocolate ( pronounced or /-ˈələt/ comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical Cacao tree Champurrado is a Chocolate -based Atole, a warm and thick Mexican drink based on Masa harina ( Hominy Flour) In El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia they are wrapped in plantain leaves, and there are several varieties, including tamal de gallina, tamal pisque, and tamal de elote (in Costa Rica, the name can also be used for a type of corn pastry). El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the They are generally large, similar in size to the tamales of southeastern Mexico.
In Guatemala and Honduras, in addition to the El Salvador versions, there are tamales without filling which are served as the bread or starch portion of a meal:
- Tamal de elote (made with yellow corn, sometimes with a sweet taste)
- Tamalito de chipilín (made with Chipilín, a green leaf)
- Tamal blanco (simple, made with white corn)
During Christmas holidays, tamales of corn flour are a special treat for Guatemalans. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The preparation time of this type of tamal is long, due to the amount of time required to cook down and thicken the flour base.
In Panama, tamales are considered one of the main national dishes. The Panamanian tamal is fairly large. The most common fillings are chicken, raisins, onions, tomato sauce, and sometimes sweet peas. Rarely you see pork versions. Another variation is tamal de olla, which is cooked in a pot and then served directly onto plates. In Panamanian cuisine Tamal de Olla (pronounced "t'mall de Oya" which is Spanish for "Tamale of the Pot/Pan" is best described as Panamanian-style Tamales are usually served for all special occasions, including weddings and birthday parties, and are always found on the Christmas dinner table.
Peruvian tamales tend to be spicy, larger, and are wrapped in banana leaves. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Common fillings are chicken or pork, usually accompanied by boiled eggs, olives, peanuts or a piece of chilli pepper mainly in Lima, the capital city. The chili pepper, chilli pepper, or chili, is the fruit of the plants from the Genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade In other cities tamales are smaller and wrapped in corn husks. They differ from the tamales made in Lima in that they use white corn instead of yellow corn as people in Lima do. Another version is called humita. Humita is a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times and a traditional food in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru It can be salted or sweet. Sweet ones have raisins, vanilla, oil, sugar. Salty ones can be filled with cheese (queso fresco) or chicken. For the Philippine variety see Kesong puti. Queso blanco or queso fresco is a creamy soft and mild unaged white Cheese that Humitas are cooked in the oven or in the pachamanca. Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish based on the Baking, with the aid of hot stones (the earthen oven is known as a Huatia) of lamb
Tamales are also found in Colombia, where there are several varieties (including most widely known tolimense as well as boyacense and santandereano). Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Like other South American varieties, the most common are very large compared to Mexican tamales - about the size of a softball - and the dough softer and wetter, with a bright yellow color. Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States. A tamal tolimense is served for breakfast with hot chocolate, and may contain large pieces of cooked carrot or other vegetables, whole corn kernels, rice, chicken on the bone and/or chunks of pork. Hot chocolate (also known as hot cocoa, drinking chocolate or just cocoa) is a heated Beverage that typically consists of The carrot ( Daucus carota subsp sativus, Etymology: Middle French carotte, from Late Latin carōta, from Greek karōton Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Pork' is the Culinary name for Meat from the domestic Pig ( Sus scrofa) often specifically the fresh meat but can be used as an all-inclusive A related food is the envuelto or bollo, which is cooked in a corn husk, and actually resembles a typical Mexican tamal more closely. Tamales in Santander are often called hayacas, as they are in neighboring Venezuela.
Ecuador has a variety of tamales and humitas, they can be filled with fresh cheese, pork, chicken or raisins. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Raisins are dried Grapes They are produced in many regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, Chile, Ecuadorian tamales are usually wrapped in corn husk or achira (aka Canna) leaves. Canna (or Canna lily, although not a true Lily) is a Genus of approximately twenty Species of Flowering plants Nacatamales are also tamales. See nacatamal.
The tamal is also a staple in Belize, where it is also known (in English) by the Spanish name bollo. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Confusion with the nomenclature also leads to the plural form being used as a singular: thus, "a tamales" rare.
Tamales are also found in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Instead of tamales they are known as pastillitos, not to be confused with the Latino word Pastel, which is Spanish for cake. Cake is a form of Food that is usually sweet and often baked.
Tamales in the United States
The plural is tamales, and this is the form of the word most often seen in the United States among Latinos, with the singular frequently given as tamale rather than tamal. In the English Language, Nouns are inflected for Grammatical number —that is singular or Plural. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Tamales have acquired mainstream popularity in the United States. However, the Mexican tamale is the most common version known and consumed in the United States by non-Hispanic Americans. The tamales can be filled with pork or with beef. Another popular filling is corn (partially mashed, like creamed corn). Creamed corn is a side dish of the Cuisine of the Midwest and has now become a common part of American cuisine, typically sold canned by firms such Tamales are popular as Christmas meals in the southwestern states of the United States, where there is a large concentration of Hispanic families. A basic modern southwestern tamal contains a spicy meat filling, usually shredded pork, chicken, or beef and is often served with a chili con carne sauce. Pork' is the Culinary name for Meat from the domestic Pig ( Sus scrofa) often specifically the fresh meat but can be used as an all-inclusive The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Chili con carne (often known simply as chili) is a spicy Stew made from Chili peppers Meat, Garlic, Onions
The green corn tamal (green, meaning "fresh") is made with fresh white corn, often mixed with cheese, then lined with a long green chile slice before it is rolled and wrapped in a husk. Then the husks are steamed. Although the Arizonans (Tucson), claim to be the originators of this tamal, the base of it remains to be Mexican, and its popularity extends to southern California.
The tamal is a staple food along the Mississippi Delta, locally known as "Tamales calientes". The Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers Technically It grew in popularity in the early 1900s when Mexican farmworkers introduced it to black workers in the cotton fields in the deep South. Hot tamales in the Delta are more typically made with corn meal instead of masa. Masa is Spanish for Dough, but in Mexico it sometimes refers to Cornmeal dough ( masa de maíz in Spanish The Mississippi hot tamale features (possibly as sexual innuendo) in the well-known, cryptic song "They're Red Hot by early Delta blues singer Robert Johnson. " They're Red Hot " is a song originally performed and written by Blues musician Robert Johnson. Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8 1911 – August 16 1938 is among the most famous of Delta blues musicians
Mississippi tamales are used to make the Chicagoland area's ubiquitous Mother-in-law sandwich which in its most popular form features a Mississippi tamale nestled in a hot dog bun and smothered with chili. The Chicago metropolitan area is the Metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago in the United States and its suburbs The Mother-in-law sandwich is a Chicago area Fast food staple that features a Mississippi Tamale nestled in a Hot dog bun and smothered A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked cured and/or smoked moist Sausage of soft even texture and flavor The origins of the sandwich according to Chicago food expert Peter Engler in addition to African-Americans migrating from the Southern United States with "Mexicans, Greeks, Armenians, and Poles[1]. See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent
Tamales have taken on a new direction in recent years as Nuevo Latino and New World chefs such as Rick Bayless bring new diversity to this ancient food. Rick Bayless (born November 23 1953 is an American Chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations
Tamales in the Caribbean
Another variation of the tamale is the pastelle found on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American It is a Spanish derivative from the days when Trinidad was a colony of Spain and thus it shares many similarities with its Latin American counterparts. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. Pastelles are wrapped in banana leaves for cooking and have a rectangular shape that is roughly 6″×3″×½″ (15×8×1. 2 cm) in dimensions. The shell is made of cornmeal and the filling commonly consists of well-seasoned ground beef or chicken and prunes, raisins, capers, and olives. The result is a rich contrast of sweet, savoury, and salty flavours. It is a staple favorite of the Christmas holiday seasonal foods on the islands, rarely if ever seen during the rest of the year. It is served for breakfast, as a supplement to other meals such as lunch and dinner, or on its own as a simple snack along with other, seasonal favorites such as sorrel (roselle).
In Cuba, before the 1959 Revolution, street vendors sold Mexican-style tamales wrapped in cornhusks, typically made without any kind of hot chile seasoning in order to accommodate the milder Cuban taste. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The fact that Cuban tamales are identical in form to those made in Mexico City suggests that they were brought over to Cuba during the period of intense cultural and musical exchange between Cuba and Mexico, between the 1920s and 1950s. A well-known Cuban song from the 1950s, "Los Tamalitos de Olga," (a cha-cha-cha sung by Orquesta Aragón) celebrated the delicious tamales sold by a street vendor in Cienfuegos. The cha-cha-chá is a style of Cuban dance music Creation of the Cha-cha-chá The cha-cha-chá is unusual as dance music genres go Orquesta Aragón was formed on 30 September 1939 by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos Cuba A peculiarly Cuban invention is the dish known as tamal en cazuela, basically consisting of tamal masa with the meat stuffing stirred into the masa, then cooked in a pot on the stove to form a kind of hearty cornmeal porridge.
Corn-husk wrapped tamales are also popular in southeastern Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la
In Puerto Rico there is the "guanime", or "guanimo" in some areas. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} It is made with yellow corn meal, coconut milk and a pinch of sugar, wrapped in a banana leaf, and boiled. There is a version with filling called guanimes rellenos. This filling may be ground beef,chicken or pork, resembling the filling of numerous fried items.
See also
- Mexican cuisine
- Honduran cuisine
- Pamonha
- Lotus leaf wrap
- Pasteles
- Hallaca
- Corunda
- Bánh tẻ
- Zongzi
- Bánh chưng
- Lo mai gai
- Bánh tét
- Sarma
- Tamal de olla
References
- ^ Chicago Reader | Omnivorous | On the Trail of the Delta Tamale: Southern food sleuths take on the murky origins of the mother-in-law sandwich. By Mike Sula
External links
- Mexican Tamales, history and recipes
- Spanish Influence on Trinidad Cuisine
- Hot Tamale Trail - Tamales in the Mississippi Delta
- Tamales, Another Treat from the Delta
- Recipe from Boyacá Department, Colombia (Spanish)
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