Dumpling Atlas

← Map · Mexico, Central America and the Hispanic Caribbean

Tamal

tamalsay tah-MAHL

Masa wrapped in husk since the Maya.

SSecondary consensusFamily H · Leaf-wrapped grain parcels (separate inventions)

Drag to turn · tap to squish

Nixtamalised corn masa steamed in husks or banana leaves, with fillings from mole to sweet corn. Maya murals at San Bartolo (c. 100 AD) depict tamales. Borderline dumpling.

Tastes of

  • masa
  • chicken
  • mole
  • salsa verde

Texture

  • fluffy, moist

How to eat it

Unwrap the husk (don't eat it).

When

Candelaria (2 Feb), Christmas, Día de Muertos.

Did you know Mexico has over 500 tamal types, according to UNAM researcher Beatriz Ramírez Woolrich.

History

8000–5000 BC claim unverified; San Bartolo (c. 100 AD) and Calakmul market murals; more than 500 types and 4,000 preparations in Mexico (Beatriz Ramírez Woolrich, UNAM) prabapilar

Sources

This entry is drawn from the World Dumpling Atlas, §6.25, the project's source report. Its grade, S secondary consensus, says how far that has been checked against a primary source. How grading works.

Related

  • humita
  • kenkey

Red chile pork tamales in corn husks (tamales rojos de puerco)

about 20 tamalesPrep 120 min · Cook 150 minmediumFold: leaf wrap

How to fold: Leaf wrap

  1. Step 1: Lay out a softened leaf or husk

    1 Lay out a softened leaf or husk

  2. Step 2: Spread the dough or batter in the middle

    2 Spread the dough or batter in the middle

  3. Step 3: Fold in the long sides, then the ends

    3 Fold in the long sides, then the ends

  4. Step 4: Tie the parcel and steam or boil it

    4 Tie the parcel and steam or boil it

Placeholder diagram. The atlas's illustrated fold animations will replace it.

Ingredients for 6

Wrappers

Filling

Masa

Method

  1. Cover the corn husks with hot water, weigh them down with a plate and soak until pliable. · timer 60 min
  2. Put the pork in a pot with the onion, 2 garlic cloves, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and water to cover. Simmer, partly covered, until tender. · timer 75 min
  3. Meanwhile, toast the chiles briefly in a dry pan, a few seconds a side, until fragrant but not burnt.
  4. Soak the toasted chiles in hot water until soft. · timer 15 min
  5. Drain the chiles and blend them with 3 garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, pepper and about 300 ml of the pork broth until smooth. Strain.
  6. Lift out the pork, keeping the broth, and shred it with two forks.
  7. Fry the sauce in a spoonful of lard for a few minutes, add the shredded pork and simmer until thick and clinging. Season with salt and set aside a few spoonfuls of sauce for the masa. · timer 15 min
  8. Beat the lard with the baking powder and salt until white and fluffy. · timer 3 min
  9. Beat in the masa in three additions, then the reserved chile sauce, then enough warm broth to make a soft, spreadable batter. Keep beating until very light; a small blob should float in a glass of cold water. · timer 10 min
  10. Pat a husk dry. With the smooth side up and the wide end towards you, spread about 3 tbsp of masa in a thin layer over the wide half, leaving a border at the sides.
  11. Put about 1.5 tbsp of filling down the centre, fold the sides over so the masa wraps the filling, then fold the narrow tail up underneath. Tie with a thin strip of husk if you like.
  12. Set a steamer basket over a few centimetres of water, line it with husks and stand the tamales upright, open end up, packed loosely together.
  13. Cover with more husks and a damp cloth, put on the lid and steam over steady heat, topping up with boiling water as needed. · timer 75 min
  14. Test one. When the masa comes away cleanly from the husk, they are done. If not, steam a little longer.
  15. Turn off the heat and let the tamales rest in the steamer so the masa firms up. · timer 15 min

Notes. Tamales are one of the oldest dumpling-like foods in the Americas, made from nixtamalised maize across Mesoamerica long before the Spanish brought pork and lard. There are hundreds of regional forms: banana-leaf tamales in Oaxaca and the Yucatán, giant zacahuil in the Huasteca, sweet pink tamales in Mexico City, uchepos of fresh corn in Michoacán. This recipe follows the central and northern Mexican red pork style. Fresh masa from a tortillería gives the best texture; masa harina works. Sources differ on how fluffy the masa should be: central-style tamales are beaten light with plenty of lard, while some home cooks simply mix lard into the masa. Steaming time ranges from about 1 to 2 hours depending on size and how full the pot is.

Written for the atlas from several sources, cross-checked: Red Chile Pork Tamales Steamed in Corn Husks, Rick Bayless; Red Pork Tamales, Maggie Unzueta (Mamá Maggie's Kitchen); Tamales rojos rellenos de cerdo, la receta tradicional, Cocina Delirante. Not yet kitchen-tested.

Red chile pork tamales in corn husks (tamales rojos de puerco) ·

The tagline and story are editorial; facts trace to the atlas research. History sources are from the atlas and not yet independently checked.

Family H

Kin: more leaf-wrapped grain parcels (separate inventions)