Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2020

DECEMBER 2020 115

I never ate tamales at Christmas. ey were always

a year-round treat. In my hometown of Puerto

Vallarta, located on Mexico’s Pacific coast, we’d stuff

ourselves with tamales barbones—tamales burst-

ing with whole, head-on shrimp, whiskers and all.

e tender masa is fortified with an extra-shrimpy

stock made from a combination of shrimp shells

and crushed dried shrimp for good measure. e

resulting tamal packs as much brininess as the salty

ocean breeze.

is was just one of many varieties we consumed

alongside other popular street foods like esquites,

made from plump corn kernels, and icy, refresh-

ing paletas. Just as Mexico has many regions, it

also has a vast number of tamal styles that vary

in shape, filling, and wrapper. Take the corundas

from Michoacán, which use the fresh leaves of corn

stalks instead of dried corn husks, or the tamales

canarios, also from the region, a sweet variety that

swaps out masa for rice flour. You could spend your

whole life eating tamales and still have more styles

left to encounter.

It was only when I moved to Los

Angeles eight years ago that tamales

became a Christmastime staple for me.

I quickly grew to love the Mexican-

American tradition of throwing

tamal parties, where friends and

family would gather and spend the

day spreading masa into corn husks

while snacking, drinking, and eating.

Friends would invite me to come over

to teach them how to make a proper

tamal, and I would oblige, hoping to

show them just how broad the world

of the tamal is. While large gatherings might be

out of the question this year, a tamal party with

one or two people can be just as satisfying. (You

can always mail some of your tamal bounty to your

loved ones.)

Over the years I’ve learned that there are two

keys to making a great tamal, no matter what style

you decide to whip up. To start, fresh masa, made

with just corn and a trace of lime, is ideal for texture

and flavor. At the grocery store, look for the bag of

fresh “masa quebrada” or just straight-up standard

“masa para tortillas.” Second, you want full-flavored

fillings—don’t hold back!

e rest is up to you. If you like your tamales

cake-like and fluffy, wrap them in corn husks. If

you prefer your tamales custard-like and dense,

use banana leaves instead. If you want to have your

tamal and eat your wrapper, too, pick up some ten-

der collard greens or Swiss chard leaves to wrap. For

a meaty but vegetarian filling, you’ll want oyster

mushrooms and the ingredients to make a deeply

savory mole encacahuatado, or pea-

nut mole. For a hearty option, make

a lamb shank guisado with smoky

morita salsa wrapped in banana leaves.

And if you have a sweet tooth, why not

stuff a tamal with custardy coconut

rice pudding? Just make sure to arm

your friends with enough snacks and

drinks—like a guava-packed ponche

boozed up with vermouth and Fernet—

along the way.

Soon, tamales may be a Christmas-

time tradition for you, too. Just let the

masa guide you.

I NEVER ATE

TA M A L E S AT

CHRISTMAS.

THEY WERE

ALWAYS A

YEAR-ROUND

TREAT.

M

e

x

i

c

O

,

GROWING UP IN

FOOD STYLING: PAOLA BRISEÑO GONZÁLEZ; PROP STYLING: NIDIA CUEVA