National Tamale Day 2023: Fans of tamales know that the delicate, stone-ground corn and tasty fillings go well together. National Tamale Day is March 23, which is a great time to celebrate this traditional Latin American dish.
Masa is a simple corn dough pocket that can be filled with many things like melted cheese or spicy pulled pork. It is wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk and boiled or steamed before being eaten.
Tamales, the best takeout meal for travelers, originated in pre-Columbian Central America. Families made hundreds of them to give away or sell, and in modern Latin America, they are a big part of holidays and other celebrations.
Use an assembly line and ask kids or family members to help you fill and spread the dough to make your tradition. Make your tamales for National Tamale Day this year!
History of National Tamale Day
Before corn was discovered, the Aztecs first made tamales around 7000 B.C. The top layer, known as “teosinte,” was the ancestor of modern maize, which is known for its tasty stalks. When native pollinators found juicy, sweet corn, it was different from the maize we know today.
In 1612, Captain John Smith said that tamales were made by Native Americans in Virginia. He went on to explain the method: “Their corne they rost in the are Greene, and bruising it in a mortar of wood with a Polt; Lappe it in Rowles in the leaves of their corn, and so Boyle it for a dainty.”
In the 1800s, upper-class Mexicans saw “tamal” as a sign of poverty because it was easy for poor people to get and bad for their health. The Mexican Revolution eliminated these ideas and made the tamal a symbol of Mexican food. It also eliminated the capitalist class’s criticism.
Celebrate National Tamales Day on March 23
Did you know that today is National Tamale Day? Since today is March 23, now is a great time to eat Fat Mama’s Tamales. Enjoy the long history of tamales whether you eat at our restaurant in Natchez or have them brought to you.
Ancient Aztecs and Mayans were the first people to make tamales. They were used as religious food on holidays and once a year for ceremonies. People in Mexico think of tamales as the first “to-go” meal, and they are a big part of holiday celebrations, especially around Christmas.
Even though savory tamales with cheese, beans, meat, vegetables, and seasonings are what most people think of, sweet tamales with chocolate, caramel, and fruit can also satisfy your sweet tooth. At Fat Mama’s Tamales, our tamales taste great with guacamole, salsa, and crema on the side. Join us on National Tamale Day to celebrate all the different kinds of tamales, whether you come in or order to go.
Why and How To Celebrate National Tamale Day
Tamales are well-known and popular because they make a tasty, portable lunch that can be eaten every day of the week or on special occasions.
The Aztecs were the first people to eat tamales, which happened around 8,000 BCE. When corn was the main grain in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times, tamales were made all over Central America. The Mayans held feasts and rites very seriously, and eating tamales was a big part of them.
Although English explorer John Smith saw Native Americans in Virginia making a dish similar to tamales during his travels in the 1600s, historians say Mexican tamales didn’t come to the United States until the 1800s.
According to some stories, migrant workers first ate tamales in the fields. Other stories say that American soldiers brought them back from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. By the early 1900s, tamales and other Mexican foods were very popular in the southern United States. Over the next 100 years, they slowly made their way north.
National Tamale Day Date in the current year: March 23, 2024
On March 23, National Tamale Day, enjoy this traditional dish that has been around for hundreds of years. Enjoy the wonderful taste of tamales!
Tamales are made with masa (alkalized corn dough) and different kinds of fillings. They are wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks and steamed. You can eat off of the wrapping or throw it away before you eat.
People who lived in what are now Mexico and Guatemala are said to have invented tamales. These inventions spread throughout Latin America after first appearing in Mesoamerica between 8000 and 5000 BC. The Olmecs, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Maya all brought tamales with them to feed their troops while they marched.
People in Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela now eat tamales and other types of tamales, like corundas, guajolotas, and uchepos. You can also find foods that are similar to tamales in the Philippines and Guam, which used to be Spanish colonies in Mexico. Enjoy a variety of tamales on this day to honor the rich tapestry of Latin American food.
Celebrate National Tamale Day
Have a great time at a National Tamale Day event on March 23. People from all over the world who love tamales come to this tasty event, which started in 2015. The cooks at Pueblo Bonito are dedicated to giving you the tastiest, most flavorful masa pockets you can imagine.
Tamales come from Mexico’s long history of cooking. They are made of soft, stone-ground corn and have tasty fillings like hot pulled pork or melting cheese. Since the 1400s, people in Central America have loved tamales, which are made by steaming or boiling banana leaves or maize husks. “Tamale,” which means “wrapped” in Nahuatl, comes from the fact that the dish was first made as a filling and portable way to get takeout for small meals.
In modern Latin America, tamales are a common way to celebrate holidays and other important events. Many times, families or small groups get together to make hundreds of these tasty treats, which they then share or sell. People usually put pulled pork and cheese inside, but in some places, you can also put beans, chicken, turkey, vegetables, and different kinds of seasonings. Sonoran and Sinaloan tamales are filled with vegetables, while Oaxacan tamales have traditional moles inside them.
Who celebrates tamales?
Tamales have their origins with Aztec and Mayans and appear in hieroglyphics of annual rituals and religious celebrations. They are considered the original “to-go” meal. In Mexico, tamales are often served in holiday meals such as Christmas.
Tamale bites are delicious because they have soft, stone-ground corn and rich fillings like a spicy pulled pig or melty cheese. March 23 is National Tamale Day, which is a great time to eat this traditional Latin American dish.
A tamale is a pocket made of simple maize dough, or masa, that can be filled with cheese, meat, fruit, and vegetables. It is either boiled or steam-cooked until it is just right after being carefully wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk.
In pre-Columbian Central America, tamales were the first takeout food. They were a full meal that was great for traveling. These salty snacks are an important part of modern Latin American celebrations for holidays and other important events. Many times, families or small groups get together to make memories that can be kept or sold. On National Tamale Day, you can enjoy this popular Latin American dish and learn about its long history.
What is the history of National Tamale Day?
In honor of their cultural history, Mexican food lover Richard Lambert began the first National Tamales Day on March 23, 2015, in Santa Barbara, California. Originating around 7000 B.C. in the Aztec empire, tamales have become a staple in Latin American cuisine.
The history of tamales goes back to the time of the Aztecs, around 7000 B.C. In this faraway time, corn had not yet been found. What we now call maize comes from the outer layer, which was called “teocintle.” The “teocintle,” which is valued for its sweet stalks, was pollinated by people in the area, which revealed the tasty and juicy corn inside. The corn we eat now is very different from this.
Captain John Smith wrote in 1612 that Native Americans in Virginia were making tamales. He talked about what he saw, like how the corn was roasted in its ear, smashed with a Polt in a wooden mortar, wrapped in leaves, and boiled to make a tasty treat.
In the 1800s, upper-class Mexicans started to think of “tamal” as a food that poor people ate. The upper classes didn’t like this new food because it was so easy to get, and workers were thought to be worried about its health. But the Mexican Revolution changed people’s minds. It erased links with the capitalist class and made the tamal a symbol of Mexican food again.
What is tamale day in Mexico?
Tamales are one of the most popular dishes within Mexican cuisine, and they were already part of their culture even before the arrival of the Spaniards. Legend states that it was from maize that mankind was created. That’s why, on the 2nd of February, Candlemas Day is celebrated eating tamales.
Nicolás Cuatencos, a bus driver from Mexico City, eats “guajolota” or “turkey” tamales at least three times a week.
Fill corn dough tamales with cheese, beans, and pork. Bake them and then wrap them in corn husks or banana leaves.
Cuatencos has liked this dish since he was a kid. He remembers that his grandmother used to make tamales for family gatherings and other events, like Candlemas Day on February 2. This makes him happy.
Tamale culture is made up of traditions and tastes that have been passed down from generation to generation. For millions of people, like the Cuatencos, it’s more than just a tasty dessert.
What is a tamale?
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating. Try them served with pico de gallo on top and a side of guacamole and rice.
Mesoamerica, which is between North and South America, is thought to be where tamales, a unique pre-Columbian food, came from. Most people think of tamales when they think of Mexico, but almost every town in Central and South America has adopted the dish and made it part of its own unique food traditions.
Tamale is a complete meal in an easy-to-carry shape. It is usually made with masa (corn flour) and different kinds of fillings, then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and cooked in steam. The tamale can be taken out of the wrapper and eaten on the go since heating it hardens the corn masa.
Archaeological evidence shows that tamales were a mainstay of the Mayan and Aztec diets in the past. In the beginning, people ate simple foods like beans and squash that were cooked over an open flame. When Europeans came to America, they changed tamale recipes by adding chicken, pig, raisins, olives, and other things. This made them more complicated and varied.
Why do you make tamales on February 2?
Those who found the baby Jesus doll in their piece of Rosca de Reyes on Three Kings Day (Día de Reyes)are by tradition obligated to bring tamales to the Día de la Candelaria on February 2, normally a gathering of the same family and friends from Three Kings Day.
Jewish tradition says that Mary and Jesus went into the Jerusalem temple forty days after their birth, on February 2, because Jesus was born on December 25. On this day, Baby Jesus was shown to the world, and the Virgin Mary was made clean.
In Mexico, people still follow a pre-Columbian practice linked to the Aztecs. The first day of the new year in Mexico is February 2, which is also a holiday for the gods Tláloc, Chalciuhtlicue, and Quetzalcóatl.
Mexican food, like tamales, has been a part of the culture for a very long time, even before the Spanish came. Folklore says that maize is what made people. So, on February 2, to honor Candlemas Day, tamales are given out. People also eat this tasty treat on other important holidays, like Christmas, when it’s often served with atole or hot cocoa.
A classic Mexican dish that people all over the world love, tamales are known for having many different flavors. The traditional way to make these snacks is with a tasty mix of meat, beans, and rice. However, manufacturers have tried out many different flavors and fillings over the years, creating a tapestry of culinary creativity.
Regional food traditions shape tamales and affect how the method for making them changes over time. The way tamales are made varies a little depending on where they are made, from the busy streets of Mexico City to the lively food scene of New Orleans.
For those who want to try a real tamale, the Mayan Mexican restaurant in Olympia, Washington, is a culinary paradise. Our restaurant is a real treasure trove of tasty treats from the lively culture of the Yucatan Peninsula. In addition to the delicious world of tamales, our menu has a wide range of traditional dishes that take you on a culinary journey through different cultures.
Mayan Mexican food promises to be perfect for a wide range of tastes, whether you’re eating traditional tamales or American favorites like burritos and tacos. Join us on a tasty trip through the middle of Olympia, Washington, that captures the spirit of Mexican food.
