Chef at 18:07, 5 January 2013

2013-01-05T18:07:57Z

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{{#seo:
|title=Tamales: Cooking Wiki
|titlemode=replace
|keywords=#tamales #chicken #pork #raisins #dough #cheese #cornhusks #bananaleaves #plantainleaves #cornhusk #boiledeggs
|hashtagrev=12032020
|description=A tamale is a traditional indigenous American food consisting of steam-cooked corn dough (masa) with or without a filling
}}


[[Image:Tamale.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Tamales in corn husks]]
A '''tamale''' is a traditional indigenous American food consisting of steam-cooked corn [[dough]] ([[masa]]) with or without a filling. Tamales can be filled with [[meats]], [[cheese]] (post-colonial), and sliced [[chillies]] or any preparation according to taste. The tamale is generally wrapped in a [[corn]] husk or [[plantain leaves]] before cooking, depending on the region from which they come.
Tamales are a favourite dish in '''Mexico''' that take several hours to prepare and make. Street vendors can be seen serving them from huge, steaming, covered pots (tamaleras). In some places like Mexico City, the tamale 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.

The most common filling is [[pork]] but [[chicken]] is also used, in either [[red or green salsa]] or [[mole]]. 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). 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]]. 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. 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. 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.

To make a full meal, the tamal is often accompanied by [[atole]], [[hot chocolate]], or [[champurrado]]. 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). 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'''. 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 '''Panamá''', 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. 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]]. 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. 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. It can be salted or sweet. Sweet ones have [[raisins]], [[vanilla]], [[oil]], [[sugar]]. Salty ones can be filled with [[cheese]] (queso fresco) or [[chicken]]. Humitas are cooked in the oven or in the pachamanca.

Tamales are also found in '''Colombia''', where there are several varieties (including most widely known tolimense as well as boyacense and santandereano). 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 colour. 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]]. 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]]. Ecuadorian tamales are usually wrapped in [[corn husk]] or [[achira]] (aka [[Canna]]) leaves.

The tamal is also a staple in '''Belize''', where it is also known (in English) by the Spanish name bollo.

Tamales are also found in the '''Dominican Republic'''. Instead of tamales they are known as pastillitos, not to be confused with the Latino word Pastel, which is Spanish for cake.

==See also==
'''Tamales recipes'''
* [[Humitas (Sweetcorn tamales)]]
* [[Nacatamal (Nicaraguan tamales)]]

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Tamales - Revision history

Chef at 18:07, 5 January 2013