Tamales

Tamales originated in Central America in pre-Columbian times and have remained popular ever since. They consist of a filling, such as shredded beef, pork, chicken, turkey, vegetables, or fruit, encased in a handful of cornmeal dough that is then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and boiled or steamed. Tamales are usually served with salsa and beans.

Tamales were an important part of the Aztec diet, and Spanish and Mexican colonists introduced this ancient delicacy into Texas, California, and the Southwest beginning in the late seventeenth century. By the 1890s, Mexican cookery had penetrated as far north as Chicago and New York City, where “tamaleros” plied the streets, calling “fresh hot tamales!” By the early twentieth century, canned tamales were available in the United States.