Posted on 03/23/2023 6:15:47 AM PDT by Red Badger
(Last Updated On: March 16, 2023)
NATIONAL TAMALE DAY
Sweet or savory, National Tamale Day on March 23rd celebrates a traditional Mexican dish made from a cornmeal dough and filled with a variety of meats, vegetables, or fruit.
#NationalTamaleDay
Traditional tamales are made with a dough called masa. When making tamales, you spread the dough on a corn husk or banana leaf before adding the fillings. Then you wrap the leaves around the entire package and steam it into a fragrant, mouthwatering meal. While they are popular street food in South America and the southern United States today, the tamale likely has its origins in Mesoamerica as early as 8000 to 5000 B.C.
Masa is made from nixtamalized cornmeal. Nixtamalized corn has been soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution such as limewater or hardwood ash to remove the seed husk.
Savory tamales consist of beans, rice, cheese, pork, chicken, turkey, and various vegetables and seasonings. Traditionally, people enjoy the tamale fresh from its steamy package, unenhanced by salsa and crema. However, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t drizzle a little hot sauce or guacamole if you choose.
Dessert tamales satisfy sweet tooths of every kind. Think fruity, caramel, and creamy steamed hand pies. Usually a smaller version of the hearty, savory tamale, these dessert tamales provide a little indulgence at the end of a meal.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL TAMALE DAY
Discover a delicious new recipe on National Tamale Day.
Take a cooking class to learn how to make authentic tamales.
Share your favorite tamale recipe with others.
Teach others how to make authentic tamales.
Visit your favorite street vendor or restaurant for savory and dessert tamales. Be sure to give them a shout-out on social media.
Let us know what your favorite kind of tamale is.
Attend a tamale festival or celebration. There are over 40 across the nation.
Try this delicious tamale recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch.
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/mexican-tamales/
When you celebrate, use #NationalTamaleDay to share on social media.
NATIONAL TAMALE DAY HISTORY
In 2015, Richard Lambert, owner of Santa Barbara-based Tamales-To-Go, founded National Tamales Day to celebrate the family’s love of tamales and his signature dish. They chose March 23rd to encourage the enjoyment of tamales all year long and because the only food competition on the calendar was Melba Toast.
Tamale FAQ
Q. Are tamales sweet or savory?
A. Tamales are versatile and can be made either sweet or savory.
Q. Can tamales be frozen?
A. Yes. It’s important to allow the cooked tamale to come to room temperature before sealing in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
Still better than the loathsome sweet chocolate tamales that make their way into the pile around Christmastime.
Hints about better tamales.
Carne Asada is a great ingredient. Crock pot London Broil (Flank Steak) on low for eight hours until it shreds with a fork. There are many recipes for its broth and spices.
Save the broth for flavorful beef soup later.
As far as sauces go, Mexican cuisine has more salsas than even gourmets can eat in their lifetime. The traditional red sauces “Rojos” are just the start for tamales. Next are the green sauces “Verde”, but tamales are versatile.
I have a case of the bread also, along with about 120 to 140 cans of tamales.
Pressure cooker will reduce that time to about thirty minutes.............
What brand of canned tamales do you like? I’d throw a case of those on the shelf.
I have to buy on price, which means the Hormel are the only ones I’ve tasted.
Knowing canned stuff I would be surprised if it makes much difference which brand.
I have three sizes of pressure cooker(*), but for some things, including carne asada, I still prefer slow cooking, as you get a better combo of flavor and texture.
(*) The largest was for when I had an apple tree as it was used exclusively for applesauce. The mid-sized is for dinners of three or more, and the small one is just for single person and specialty dining.
I’ve thought of getting an extra large, just for canning, but I’ve no ambition to can anymore.
I have three sizes of pressure cooker(*), but for some things, including carne asada, I still prefer slow cooking, as you get a better combo of flavor and texture.
(*) The largest was for when I had an apple tree as it was used exclusively for applesauce. The mid-sized is for dinners of three or more, and the small one is just for single person and specialty dining.
I’ve thought of getting an extra large, just for canning, but I’ve no ambition to can anymore.
We may ALL be canning soon if the economy and inflation gets any worse!.................
Thanks. I’m familiar with the Hormel brand. I think I even remember the Hormel tamales favorably! Thank you.
A brand that I would really like to try is this one.
La Preferida Beef & Pork Canned Tamales with Sauce
That’s funny...I just saw that the two main brands for sale on Amazon are Hormel and La Preferida.
There’s a store here called Compare. It’s a grocery store with other stuff available...including a jewelry counter! It’s heavily used by the local Hispanic population, so their Hispanic foods selection is significant. I go there for their huge variety of Goya products. I’ll have to run by to see what they have in the canned tamale line. I’d bet money they have La Preferida. I’ll try what they have...hopefully La Preferida and Hormel.
This looks interesting for a shelf-stable tamale.
Perhaps mixed with a little of this to make up for the lack of filling (if there is a lack).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.