Holiday Tamales

Christmas foods are always traditional no matter where you are in the world. It certainly is true in the Latin America  where centuries old dishes are brought out to every one's delight. In this case it's the tamale,  standard fare in any Western meal .It's made special with different ingredients and a lot of love.

It was the topic of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The piece , written by newcomer, Fernanda Santos, explores this Latin.Tamales are a big part of Latinos holiday fare and also everyday fare.They truly are an American food, their origins dating well before Columbus where for centuries; before him various tribes were making different types of corn rolled baked in clay pots. The premise is easy .Tamales are a stuffed corn based roll, wrapped in parchment or corn husks and steamed. With practice anyone can make them.

Tamales vary fron country to country, Mexicans like theirs stuffed with pork or beef although chicken is also preferred too.Along the Mexican Gulf Coast, in Tabasco, the husks are filled with garfish. In Oaxaca ,it;s chicken with a spicy chocolate based mole sauce, Venezuela also has this tradition however they sweeten their fillings with raisins along with olives. The meat of choice there is pork. The Brazilians have something similar too filled with cheese and meat.Most beginners usually stick with a simple beef tamale and a tomato sauce made with cumin and chiles.

Tamales are a part of the Christmas feasting tables as any roast or ham, They can  be made in the traditional style or according to the region. They're a different and tasty way of celebrating a holiday.