tamal
Steamed corn pocket
Tamal is the singular form of tamales, the traditional Mesoamerican dish of masa (corn dough) filled with meat, cheese, or other ingredients and steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf wrapper.
Though tamales is far more common in English—even when referring to just one—tamal reflects the original Spanish singular and appears in contexts emphasizing authenticity or in regions with strong Mexican or Central American influence.
I'll have one tamal with green chile.
Pig as food
- chickenDomestic fowl for eating
- beefBovine meat for eating
- cheeseFermented milk solid
- beansEdible pod seeds
rajas · picadillo · carnitas · barbacoa · mole · salsa · dulce · sweet
Dry seed covering
- cornhuskDried maize leaf casing
- enfoldedSurrounded on all sides
- bundleGathered items tied together
- parcelWrapped item for shipping
tied · steamed · unwrapped · presentation · handheld · portable · individual · folded
Cob-bearing cereal crop
- comalFlat cooking griddle
- metateStone grinding platform
- AztecAncient Mexican civilization
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
Nahuatl · pre-Columbian · indigenous · cacao · mole · atole · pozole · ceremonial
Winter nativity celebration
- fiestaFestive public celebration
- CandlemasFeast of purification
- weddingMarriage rite and feast
- baptismRitual water purification ceremony
family · gathering · tradition · handmade · homemade · abuela · recipe · labor
Coarsely milled dried maize
- hominyAlkali-processed dried kernels
- harinaSpanish word for flour
- doughFlour-liquid mixture for baking
- lardClarified pork fat
beaten · fluffy · spreadable · seasoned · broth · textured · corn · maize
Vessel for cooking
- steamerVapor-powered vessel
- vaporGaseous form of liquid
- moistureSmall amounts of liquid
- heatTransferred thermal energy
cooking · tender · softened · cooked · simmered · kitchen · stovetop · basket
Of or from Tenochtitlan's successor
- GuatemalanOf a Central American nation
- SalvadoranOf El Salvador
- ColombianFrom the Andes nation
- VenezuelanFrom northern South America
pork
Pig as food
beans · rajas · picadillo · carnitas · barbacoa · mole · salsa · dulce · sweet · savory
husk
Dry seed covering
parcel · tied · steamed · unwrapped · presentation · handheld · portable · individual · folded · secured
maize
Cob-bearing cereal crop
Maya · Nahuatl · pre-Columbian · indigenous · cacao · mole · atole · pozole · ceremonial · offering
Christmas
Winter nativity celebration
baptism · family · gathering · tradition · handmade · homemade · abuela · recipe · labor · communal
cornmeal
Coarsely milled dried maize
- hominyAlkali-processed dried kernels
- harinaSpanish word for flour
- doughFlour-liquid mixture for baking
lard · beaten · fluffy · spreadable · seasoned · broth · textured · corn · maize · ground
pot
Vessel for cooking
heat · cooking · tender · softened · cooked · simmered · kitchen · stovetop · basket · perforated
Mexican
Of or from Tenochtitlan's successor
- GuatemalanOf a Central American nation
- SalvadoranOf El Salvador
- ColombianFrom the Andes nation
Venezuelan · Oaxacan · dulce · variety · style
- antojitosgordita, huarache, chalupa, tostada, quesadilla
- Central MexicoMexico City, Guadalajara, Puebla, Guanajuato, Zacatecas
- hot tamalesFilled corn dough parcels
- tamale pieCasserole with cornmeal topping