Without a doubt, The tamale is one of the foods that Cubans enjoy the most. Not only is the act of eating them a pleasure, but also the process of their preparation: grinding the corn, making a sauce, frying cracklings, choosing the best leaves, having the strings ready to hold them.
Although Cubans do not need an excuse to eat tamales, on celebrations such as Mother's Day, New Year's Eve, or family birthdays, there are almost always tamales on the table.
Now, not all tamales are similar in flavor or presence to the Cuban tamale. Although it is a food typical of the American continent, inherited from the Aboriginal tradition due to its preparation with corn, the tamale can be different in one country or another. Let's see.
1- It is a food that has been consumed since 500 BC. The tamale predominated in the Mesoamerican region, and it is believed that it was transferred from Mexico to other regions. Archaeological studies have revealed that the tamale was a very common food in pre-Hispanic times, and was used in religious rituals.
2- May contain chili peppers, fruits, vegetables.
3- It can have a sweet or bitter flavor, depending on the corn chosen to make it or the ingredients.
4- The tamale is called "hallaca" in Venezuela and in some areas of Colombia or Ecuador.
5- In Belize it is called "bun".
6- In Bolivia and Peru it is also called "humita".
7- In the Dominican Republic it is known as "sheet cakes".
8- They are not only wrapped in the leaves of the corn cob itself, but also in banana leaves.
9- In countries like Colombia or Ecuador they are also filled with eggs.
10- Some areas of the United States have the tradition of eating tamale due to the strong Mexican migration to that country.
11- There are red tamales (with achiote and tomato), rice tamales (with rice dough), chambray tamales (stuffed with almond or chocolate), or the criollo tamale.
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