{"id":2694,"date":"2018-10-03T18:02:16","date_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/?p=2694"},"modified":"2018-10-03T18:02:16","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:02:16","slug":"tamales-a-gift-from-the-aztec-gods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/en\/foodie-moon\/tamales-a-gift-from-the-aztec-gods\/","title":{"rendered":"Tamales, a Gift from the Aztec Gods"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The Tamales summarize the essence of America and its exquisite cuisine. They are considered a divine legacy prior to the Spanish and one of the most representative dishes of the continent. The older siblings of the tacos take us back to the time when man began to dominate corn and the long expeditions through the jungle where the preservation of food was vital. Its legend lives on and everyone who tastes it is spellbound by its flavors.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tamale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This delight<\/a> is a kind of <strong>empanada<\/strong> formed through a mass of corn that hides different delicacies depending on the area where you are or the variety that falls in your lucky hands. They are the symbol of <strong>Mexico<\/strong> but many nations consider it part of their culture throughout <strong>Central America<\/strong> and the southern cone.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zgFM0PIArL0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>The Legend of the Child God<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>tamale<\/strong> stars in a bloody legend told for thousands of years and starring <strong>Tzitzimitl<\/strong>. This macabre lady was the grandmother of the God <strong>Chicomex\u00f3chitl.<\/strong> The grandmother decided to sacrifice and cook the first twenty <strong>tamales<\/strong> with his <strong>meat.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From the tomb of this <strong>Child God<\/strong> the first leaf of corn sprouted, which spread throughout the continent through seven ears of corn. From one of them<strong> Siete Flores<\/strong> resurfaced, as this divinity was later known. Once recovered from his trip to the afterlife he took revenge by throwing his murderous grandmother into a cauldron of boiling water.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2556\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Me\u0301xico.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Me\u0301xico.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Me\u0301xico-272x300.jpg 272w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Me\u0301xico-579x640.jpg 579w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>The Millennial History of Tamal<\/h2>\n<p>This cannibal legend shows the importance of the dish for the pre-Columbian civilizations. It is believed that it appeared in the diet of the Mesoamerican peoples around 8000 a.C.<\/p>\n<p>However, no one dares to offer the final date or the exact location of the first <strong>tamale<\/strong>. Researchers <strong>Karl Taube, William Saturno<\/strong> and <strong>David Stuart<\/strong> date it to 100 BC in <strong>Guatemala<\/strong>, after finding <strong>tamales<\/strong> in a mural of the <strong>Peten ruins.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This enigma persists although it seems evident that tamales arise in <strong>Mexico<\/strong>. It is known that corn comes from this area, so it is very likely that <strong>tamales<\/strong> also.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2557\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Pira\u0301mides-aztecas.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Pira\u0301mides-aztecas.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Pira\u0301mides-aztecas-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The recipe was part of the <strong>Aztec, Olmec, Mexica, Toltec<\/strong> and <strong>Maya<\/strong> cultures. The latter cite it in the <strong>Dresden Codex<\/strong>, the oldest book in <strong>America<\/strong> that is still preserved. The <strong>tamales<\/strong> were part of the funeral rituals, they functioned as offerings to the gods and were of great help in the jungle, for being easily conserved in the expeditions.<\/p>\n<p>The rituals and prayers for the crops were produced through this dish since ancient times. The drawings of <strong>tamales<\/strong> in pots and various kitchen utensils indicate that they preceded the <strong>tortillas<\/strong> in the Mayan diet of the classical and post-classical periods.<\/p>\n<h2>The Tamales and the Spanish Invasion<\/h2>\n<p>The creation of the <strong>tamales<\/strong> was a resposbility of the women and despite their apparent simplicity, hundreds of years were necessary to acquire techniques that still exist today. All this wisdom was not slowed down by the <strong>Spanish invasion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>conquerors<\/strong> were aware of the potential of what they unduly called<strong> tortillas<\/strong>. <strong>Tamal<\/strong> in the Nauhatl language means rolled up and <strong>Fray Bernardino de Sahag\u00fan<\/strong> speaks about this in his chronicles about the <strong>New World:<\/strong> They ate <strong>tamales<\/strong> in many ways: <em>Some of them are white, not entirely round or square. Other tamales are red.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2558\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Chuatemoc.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Chuatemoc.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Chuatemoc-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>His descriptions were the first references of <strong>tamale<\/strong> in the western world. The European invaders did not forbid this ancestral recipe. On the contrary, they used it to achieve an effective evangelization of the <strong>Aztecs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On February 2, the new year of the Mexica calendar was celebrated. It was a day to honor with<strong> tamales<\/strong> the pantheon of Gods <strong>Tlaloques<\/strong>. Thousands of people prostrated before the Water Goddess, <strong>Chalchiuhtlicuo<\/strong> and before <strong>Quetzalcoatl,<\/strong> God of the Wind.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2559\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Colonizacio\u0301n-y-Tamales.jpg\" alt=\"Am\u00e9rica and Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Colonizacio\u0301n-y-Tamales.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Colonizacio\u0301n-y-Tamales-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>A Religious Icon<\/h2>\n<p>The Spaniards applied an old custom of Christianity, that of appropriating other people&#8217;s rituals. Taking advantage of the fact that on February 2 the Christian celebration of the<strong> Purification of Our Lady<\/strong> was celebrated, they created the <strong>Day of Candelaria<\/strong>. They kept alive the tradition of offering and consuming <strong>tamales<\/strong> but they changed the <strong>Aztec<\/strong> Gods for the <strong>Christian.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now it is one of the most colorful and fascinating festivities in <strong>Mexico<\/strong>, where a large number of<strong> tamales<\/strong> are consumed. It is also very common to taste them in <strong>El D\u00eda de los Muertos<\/strong>. The dish was taken to <strong>Spain<\/strong> as proof of the existence of a rich civilization on the other side of the ocean by <strong>Fray Juan de Zumarr\u00e1ga.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2560\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2560\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2560\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Di\u0301a-de-la-Candelaria.jpg\" alt=\"Candelaria Day. Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Di\u0301a-de-la-Candelaria.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Di\u0301a-de-la-Candelaria-300x142.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2560\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">D\u00eda de la Candelaria. Mexico DF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This cultural crossover continues in force through the most unique <strong>tamales<\/strong> in <strong>Mexico.<\/strong> The so-called <strong>Asturian<\/strong> or <strong>Spanish tamale<\/strong> is steamed with a filling of ham, pork or bacon seasoned with <strong>Manchego cheese<\/strong> and <strong>fabas<\/strong> (beans).<\/p>\n<p>The<strong> tamales<\/strong> continue being transcendental in the daily life of <strong>America<\/strong>. They have evolved from the <strong>Aztec<\/strong> altars to the street stalls that dominate the Mexican streets. There, the green is not a color but a juicy and somewhat spicy sauce that accompanies the traditional <strong>tamales<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2561\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Veg.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales Veggie\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Veg.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Veg-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Not only Mexico<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Mexico<\/strong> is the place where most types of tamales exist in the world, more than 5000, but not the only one where you can find them. Each country in<strong> America<\/strong> has its own, even some like <strong>Guatemala<\/strong> or <strong>Peru<\/strong> claim their invention.<\/p>\n<p>Its composition, preparation and presentation depend on each zone and may be wrapped in different leaves of banana or corn. The most common is to be steamed. Also, baked or in a hole underground.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2575\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2575\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2575\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Guatemala-1.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales de Guatemala\" width=\"900\" height=\"616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Guatemala-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Guatemala-1-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2575\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamales. Guatemala<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In <strong>Central American<\/strong> <strong>countries<\/strong> it is common to find them wrapped in banana leaves. During <strong>Christmas,<\/strong> both in <strong>Honduras<\/strong> and in <strong>Guatemala<\/strong>, it is cooked with a special corn flour whose cooking lasts for hours.<\/p>\n<p>In <strong>Guatemala<\/strong> there are dozens of varieties of<strong> tamales<\/strong> based on their ingredients, the most picturesque being called <strong>red tamales,<\/strong> which include olives, red pepper, plums, capers and almonds. <strong>Belize<\/strong> has baptized them as <strong>bollos<\/strong>, using the Castilian word.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2563\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2563\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2563\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-.-Tamales-Colorados.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-.-Tamales-Colorados.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-.-Tamales-Colorados-300x178.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2563\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamales Colorados<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In <strong>Argentina<\/strong>, they are very present in the northwest area. The <strong>tamales salte\u00f1os<\/strong> are in high demand due to the quality of their meat. Meanwhile, the <strong>juje\u00f1os<\/strong> include a tasty combination of minced meat, red pepper and corn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Venezuela<\/strong> has a derivative of <strong>tamales<\/strong> called <strong>hallaca<\/strong>, which is also a dish savored in <strong>Ecuador.<\/strong> Although, <strong>Cuba<\/strong> prior to the revolution may have been the country that has best welcomed the<strong> tamale Mexican<\/strong> style.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2577\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2577\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2577\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Peruanos.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales Peruanos\" width=\"900\" height=\"717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Peruanos.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Peruanos-300x239.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-Peruanos-803x640.jpg 803w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2577\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamales from Peru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Street vendors of this <strong>delight<\/strong> were very common and even <strong>Son<\/strong> was dedicated to their delicious textures. Throughout the 20th century it has witnessed an intense cultural exchange between the <strong>Caribbean island<\/strong> and <strong>Mexico<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This delicacy of the <strong>Aztec gods<\/strong> is still present in places as unsuspected as the <strong>Philippines<\/strong> or <strong>Guam.<\/strong> The <strong>Binaki<\/strong> from <strong>Philippines<\/strong> is perhaps the most exotic<strong> tamale.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>The Tamales in the United States<\/h2>\n<p>The idyll of the <strong>United States<\/strong> with the tamales is centennial. The first vestige of this old admiration for the <strong>Aztec<\/strong> dish occured in 1893 on the occasion of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chicago&#8217;s World Fair<\/a>, where it is presented as a tradition. The street vendors of <strong>tamales<\/strong> were the subject of <strong>blues songs<\/strong> like <em>They&#8217;re red hot<\/em>, played by the first member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-lists\/the-27-club-a-brief-history-17853\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Club of the 27<\/a>, the legendary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Robert Johnson.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2571\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-siglo-XX.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales. Siglo XX\" width=\"900\" height=\"690\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-siglo-XX.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-siglo-XX-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Tamales-siglo-XX-835x640.jpg 835w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the <strong>United States<\/strong> there is a fascinating variety of <strong>tamales<\/strong>. Many of them of Indian inspiration like the <strong>Cherokee Tamales<\/strong>. At the plantations in the state of <strong>Mississippi<\/strong>, the black slaves engineered their own spicy <strong>tamale.<\/strong> A descendant of the introduced by the Spanish prisoners of the <strong>Los Alaes<\/strong> prison of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/en\/urban-moon\/english-new-orleans-bohemian-guide\/\">Louisiana<\/a> in 1721.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chicago<\/strong> also developed a peculiar variety, but it is in <strong>California<\/strong> where the devotion for this dish manifests itself more intensely.<\/p>\n<p>The multitudinous <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tamalefestival.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indio Tamale International Festival<\/a> is held every year there. More than 100,000 people devour gigantic <strong>tamales,<\/strong> which in 2000 achieved Guinness by reaching a diameter of 12 meters. In 2006 they broke another record as the largest culinary festival in the world.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2565\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2565\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2565 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Indio-Tamale-International-Festival.jpg\" alt=\"Indio Tamales International Festival\" width=\"900\" height=\"1049\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Indio-Tamale-International-Festival.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Indio-Tamale-International-Festival-257x300.jpg 257w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Indio-Tamale-International-Festival-549x640.jpg 549w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Indio-Tamale-International-Festival-879x1024.jpg 879w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2565\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Indio Tamale International Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The old legends warn: Who eats the <strong>tamale<\/strong> that sticks to the pot suffers a curse. Do not worry. It is an assumable evil that is worth suffering in order to taste this thousand-year-old divine legacy. It has seduced gods, kings and commoners and now we are the ones who enjoy them. There will always be a reason to devour delicious <strong>tamales.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Recipe for Texan Basic Tamales<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2566\" src=\"http:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Recipe-Tamales.jpg\" alt=\"Tamales\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Recipe-Tamales.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.showmoonmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Tamales-un-Regalo-de-los-Dioses-Aztecas-Recipe-Tamales-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>5 lbs. lean pork or beef, cooked and shredded<br \/>\n6 to 7 lbs. fresh masa<br \/>\n1 1\/2 lbs lard (Our tamales are not made with lard, but this is the traditional ingredient)<br \/>\n1 tbls. salt<br \/>\n1 1\/2 pts. red chili sauce<br \/>\n1 bundle oujas (corn shucks)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Directions:<br \/>\nTo make tamales, cook meat by boiling in a large covered pot with enough water to cover completely. Add salt to taste and slow boil till completely done. Cool meat and save broth. When meat has cooled, shred and mix in the chili sauce. Clean oujas (corn shucks or outer husk) in warm water. (make masa by hand or with mixer) Mix the masa, lard , salt and enough broth to make a smooth paste. Beat till a small amount (1 tsp) will float in a cup of cool water.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Spread masa (1\/8 to 1\/4 inch thick layer, or to preference) on ouja, add a small amount of meat and roll up. Fold up ends of ouja and place(fold down) on a rack in a pan deep enough to steam. Add 1 to 2 inches water, cover with a tight fitting lid and steam about 1 1\/2 hours. (a cloth can be used under the lid to make a tighter fit)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Many variations of ingredients can be used in making tamales. You can use a combination of beef and pork, or chicken, or fried beans, or vegetables, or even sweet fillings like canned pumpkin. For meat varieties, one or two olives may be added to the center, or try adding a few raisins.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>This recipe will make 4 to 5 dozen tamales<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>*Recipe from <a href=\"https:\/\/texaslonestartamales.com\/recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas Lone Star Tamale<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Tamales summarize the essence of America and its exquisite cuisine. They are considered a divine legacy prior to the Spanish and one of the most representative dishes of the continent. The older siblings of the tacos take us back to the time when man began to dominate corn and the long expeditions through the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,522],"tags":[106,841,1305,1219,1231,791,1235,1227,1300,1222,1223,1208,1301,1309,1224,75,1229,1221,295,1299,1220,1304,1302,931,1228,1308,364,1303,117,1234,261,1310,1209,1306,1226,1233,1307,1212,740,363,1225,1206,107,1085],"class_list":["post-2694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foodie-moon","category-foodie-stories","tag-america","tag-argentina","tag-asturian-tamales","tag-belice","tag-binaki","tag-blues","tag-cherokee-tamales","tag-cuba","tag-culinary","tag-dia-de-la-candelaria","tag-dia-de-muertos","tag-dioses-aztecas","tag-dish","tag-dresden-codex","tag-fabas","tag-foodie","tag-foodie-stories","tag-fray-bernardino-de-sahagun","tag-gastronomia","tag-gastronomy","tag-guatemala","tag-guatemala-tamales","tag-guinness-record","tag-history","tag-indio-tamale-international-festival","tag-legends","tag-mexican-food","tag-mexican-tamales","tag-mexico","tag-mexico-df","tag-peru","tag-philipinnes","tag-recetas","tag-red-tamal","tag-robert-johnson","tag-salsas","tag-sauces","tag-siete-flor","tag-spain","tag-tacos","tag-tamal-colorado","tag-tamales","tag-usa","tag-yummy","clearfix","content-pad"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tamales, a Gift from the Aztec Gods - ShowMoonMag<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Tamales summarize the essence of America. 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