Tamale tradition continues to connect families

For Adriana Flores and Aracelia Saenz, Christmastime comes wrapped in corn husk – in it, pork in red sauce, cheese with poblano peppers and a tradition that goes back several generations.

Christmas simply would not be the same without a good batch of tamales.

On Wednesday, Flores and Saenz of Merced tag-teamed to make four dozen tamales for family and friends. In the past, they’ve made up to 100 for larger family functions. It’s a cooking process that takes time, skill and patience, Saenz said, but one that she’s mastered after 40-plus years of practice.

Saenz, 61, first learned from her mother who made tamales every Christmas in her native Nuevo León, located in northeastern Mexico. Tamales are made of out of masa, or cornmeal dough, and usually are filled with beef, pork or chicken. But when food and money were scarce, Saenz said, her mother would fill the tamales with beans.

“They were simple but very tasty,” she said.

Nowadays, people tend to get more creative, she said. Sweet tamales, filled with raisins, pineapple or strawberry, are popular during this time of year, usually cooked as a dessert for Christmas Eve.

Tamale recipes also differ by region, Flores said. In the Mexican state of Jalisco, where she is from, the masa is wrapped in corn husks and spicy fillings are usually preferred. But in Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico, tamales are often wrapped in banana leaves and tend to be moister than corn husk tamales.

How tamales became a Christmas staple is unknown to Flores and Saenz, but for them, tamales are much more than a meal. They are also a symbol of family and celebration, they said.

“It’s a tradition passed from one generation to another ... my grandmother, my mom, me,” Flores said. “You can make them year round, but it’s a lot of work, so most people only make them during this time of year.

“It’s a special time,” Flores said.

Tamales, according to historians, can be found in the earliest known indigenous records, dating back to 5000 B.C. It is believed tamales were served during Aztec banquets and prepared as an offering to the gods. The word comes from “tamalli,” a word meaning “wrapped” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.

Passed along through generations, the tamale also has become the subject of Chicano literature. Books such as Gary Soto’s “Too Many Tamales” and “Growing up With Tamales” by Gwendolyn Zepeda are often introduced to children in grade school.

A tamale meal is also often accompanied by buñuelos, fried sweet dough sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and atole, a hot corn-based beverage.

Saenz said she probably will make another couple of dozen for the New Year’s celebration – her tamales have become known by friends at her church and community. She said she is often invited to friends’ homes to help add her special touch.

As they wrap tamales, the women chat about their day, their families and laugh about the loads of dishes they will have to wash once they finish cooking and wrapping the tamales.

“Sometimes we share recipes, we try new things,” Saenz said. “It’s always a good time.”

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Tamale tradition continues to connect families."