Posted on 02/15/2021 8:51:22 AM PST by Rebelbase
Though they might not be the king of street food today, a hundred years ago Tamales dominated street corners, with tamale vendors becoming so popular that turf wars broke out. Though it was briefly impossible to avoid tamaleros, they vanished almost as quickly as they came. The history of the “Tamale Wars” is history that deserves to be remembered.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
When he came home after the war they asked him how the other soldiers liked the Tamales. "Those damn Yankees hated them. They don't know good food!"
I am sorry, I never understood the allure of tamales, especially the weird sweet ones with raisins.
We used to have many tamale ladies and I would buy their wares because I get the work that goes into it and want to support them for keeping tradition alive, but Lord, tamales aint my thing.
When I was a kid visiting my aunt in Poughkeepsie New York in 1962 at Christmas,we would make tamales by the hundreds and freeze them. Take them out and heat them up. Great memories.
I liked them if they put chile colorado sauce on them. Other than that they were too dry.
One day a yankee from Mi was in the VFW in Tx when the tamale girls came in.
Eager to fit in, he ordered some.
He bitched like hell that he found a human tooth in one.
I said that’s a pigs tooth dude, you are really ignorant about tamales..
Here in Little Tijuana(Pacoima), there is a sidewalk cafe complete with tables and chairs every few hundred yards, tamales everywhere.
there was a vendor at my grandmothers town when we went there in the 60s - tamales are okay with me for tradition to eat one or two once a year but that is about it.
Redneck Tamales: tamales covered with BBQ sauce
Exactly.
That was a great short story. I had no idea that tamales were all the rage in the 1890s through the beginning of the 1900s.
The History Guy should trash that stupid bowtie. They make men look effeminate.
Here today .... gone TAMALE !
My yardstick is “which one contains the most MEAT?”
This is the Mexican
Don José Calderón
One of God’s countrymen.
Land of the buzzard,
Cheap silver dollar, and
Cacti and murderers.
Why has he left his land
Land of the lazy man,
Land of the pulque
Land of the bull fight,
Fleas and revolution.
This is the reason,
Hark to the wherefore;
Listen and tremble.
One of his ancestors,
Ancient and garlicky,
Probably grandfather,
Died with his boots on.
Killed by the Texans,
Texans with big guns
At San Jacinto.
Died without benefit
Of priest or clergy;
Died full of Minié balls,
Mescal and pepper.
Don José Calderón
Heard of the tragedy.
Heard of it, thought of it,
Vowed a deep vengeance;
Vowed retribution
On the Americans,
Murderous gringos,
Especially Texans.
“Válgame Dios! qué
Ladrones, diablos,
Matadores, mentidores,
Carracos y perros,
Voy a matarles,
Con sólo mis manos,
Toditas sin falta.”
Thus swore the Hidalgo
Don José Calderón.
He hied him to Austin.
Bought him a basket,
A barrel of pepper,
And another of garlic,
Also a rope he bought.
That was his stock in trade;
Nothing else had he.
Nor was he rated in
Dun or in Bradstreet,
Though he meant business,
Don José Calderón,
Champion of Mexico,
Don José Calderón
Seeker of vengeance.
With his stout lariat,
Then he caught swiftly
Tomcats and puppy dogs,
Caught them and cooked them,
Don José Calderón,
Vower of vengeance.
Now on the sidewalk
Sits the avenger
Selling Tamales to
Innocent purchasers.
Dire is thy vengeance,
Oh, José Calderón,
Pitiless Nemesis
Fearful Redresser
Of the wrongs done to thy
Sainted grandfather.
Now the doomed Texans,
Rashly hilarious,
Buy of the deadly wares,
Buy and devour.
Rounders at midnight,
Citizens solid,
Bankers and newsboys,
Bootblacks and preachers,
Rashly importunate,
Courting destruction,
Buy and devour.
Beautiful maidens
Buy and devour,
Gentle society youths
Buy and devour.
Buy and devour
This thing called Tamale;
Made of rat terrier,
Spitz dog and poodle,
Maltese cat, boarding house
Steak and red pepper,
Garlic and tallow,
Corn meal and shucks.
Buy without shame
Sit on store steps and eat,
Stand on the street and eat,
Ride on the cars and eat,
Strewing the shucks around
Over creation.
Dire is thy vengeance,
Don José Calderón,
For the slight thing we did
Killing thy grandfather.
What boots it if we killed
Only one greaser,
Don José Calderón?
This is your deep revenge,
You have greased all of us,
Greased a whole nation
With your Tamales,
Don José Calderón,
Santos Esperitos,
Vicente Camillo,
Quitana de Ríos,
De Rosa y Ribera.
—O. Henry
When I worked in Mexico in the 90s, I occasionally had authentic local posole. There are pig parts in there that even veterinarians don’t know the names of.
Your bowtie comment sounds like a millennial.
Growing up in inner city St. Louis in the 40s, it was common to see and hear tamale vendors on the corners. Usually in front of a tavern.
Some of the Mex stores have backroom tamale kitchens in defiance of local health codes. Once you’ve been vetted it’s a good source.
One of them I went to was out for the day but the owner made a phone call and told me to wait in the parking lot. 5 minutes later a car pulls up and the woman in the passenger seat had a pot full of tamales on the floor. I bought a dozen from her. Felt like a drug deal in plain sight.
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