tamales
Masa in husks
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish of seasoned meat, cheese, or other fillings wrapped in corn dough (masa), then wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed.
The word is the plural of tamal, though English speakers often treat tamale as the singular.
Tamales are labor-intensive to prepare, typically made in large batches for holidays and celebrations: We spent all day making tamales for Christmas.
Dried maize leaf casing
- salsaSpicy tomato condiment
- moleSubterranean insectivore
- chiliCapsicum pod or stew
- cuminGround aromatic seed
lard · spices · savory · handmade · wrapped · rajas · picadillo · achiote
Pig as food
- chickenDomestic fowl for eating
- beefBovine meat for eating
- cheeseFermented milk solid
- beansEdible pod seeds
peppers · vegetables · shredded · spiced · stuffing · zucchini · mole · carnitas
Of or from Tenochtitlan's successor
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- authenticVerified as original
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- abuelaGrandmother, in Spanish
grandmother · recipe · ritual · Mesoamerican · Aztec · Mayan · pre-Columbian · pueblo
Dry seed covering
- wrappingOuter covering material
- steamingReleasing hot vapor
- spreadingExtending over space
- foldingBending something over itself
tying · soaking · beating · lard · broth · assembly · batch · dozen
Winter nativity celebration
- Día de los MuertosMexican festival for ancestors
- CandelariaFeast of purification
- fiestaFestive public celebration
- familyRelated people together
gatherings · feast · tradition · seasonal · gifts · altar · offering · reunion
cornhusk
Dried maize leaf casing
cumin · lard · spices · savory · handmade · wrapped · rajas · picadillo · achiote · tomatillo
pork
Pig as food
beans · peppers · vegetables · shredded · spiced · stuffing · zucchini · mole · carnitas · barbacoa
Mexican
Of or from Tenochtitlan's successor
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- authenticVerified as original
- indigenousOriginating in a region
abuela · grandmother · recipe · ritual · Mesoamerican · Aztec · Mayan · pre-Columbian · pueblo · regional
husk
Dry seed covering
folding · tying · soaking · beating · lard · broth · assembly · batch · dozen · comal
Christmas
Winter nativity celebration
- Día de los MuertosMexican festival for ancestors
- CandelariaFeast of purification
- fiestaFestive public celebration
family · gatherings · feast · tradition · seasonal · gifts · altar · offering · reunion · potluck
- steamed foodssteamed dumplings, steamed buns, steamed fish, steamed rice, steamed vegetables
- Central American foodpupusas, tortillas, arroz con pollo, tres leches, picadillo
- Hispano Heritageadobe, luminarias, posole, chile, green chile
- indigenous foodspemmican, bannock, fry bread, poi, taro
- Mesoamerican foodmaize, corn tortillas, tortillas, beans, black beans
- Mestizo Culturemixed race, race mixing, indigenous roots, ancestry, cultural pride
tamalesburrito
Filled, wrapped tortilla
taco · tostada · quesadilla · enchilada · flauta
tamalesfried foods
Items cooked in oil
deep-fried · raw food · sashimi · ceviche · carpaccio
tamalesinstant ramen
Precooked dried noodle soup
microwave dinner · fast food · TV dinner · toast · sandwich
- hot tamalesFilled corn dough parcels
- tamale pieCasserole with cornmeal topping