If you are lucky enough to live in an area where people have come from Mexico or Central America, you might know about the Christmas tamale tradition. Although this sweet or savory confection is made for many different holidays, it is most closely associated with the Christmas season.
Tamales have their origin in Mesoamerican cultures and predate the arrival of Christianity. Making them is an elaborate process, often a group event called a Tamalada. You can see the many steps above: washing the corn husks, spreading a corn paste called masa over the husk, adding a filling of almost anything, rolling and tying the bundles, and finally steaming them on the stove. Many hands make light work.
Let’s hope the woman in the photograph above was not working all alone. You can see her tying up the bundles, a stack of corn husks in front of her. Although we know the photo was taken in 1960s, there is little to indicate the year. She wears a polka dot dress covered by a cardigan, protected below by an apron. It could be 1940, 1960, or even today.
Good tamales are my favorite food in the world.
There used to be a guy in the area that sold big pans of tamales in all different flavors around the holiday. I always wanted to do that in lieu of our turkey et al dinner for 25 extended family, but never managed to swing it, and now he is gone. There is a lesson here somewhere.
Ceci