What Are Tamales Made Of? Meaning, Ingredients and Origin

A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough from nixtamalized corn, steamed inside a corn husk or leaf. Most tamales hold a filling of meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit.

Tamales are made of four things: masa (corn dough), a fat such as lard or vegetable shortening, a filling, and a wrapper. The masa is beaten with the fat and broth or water, spread on the wrapper, filled, folded and steamed until firm. The wrapper is peeled off before eating.

This guide explains each ingredient, then where tamales come from, the main regional types, when they are eaten, the best cheeses, and how to eat one. It is the background to the tamales we make and serve at Mi Casa in Breckenridge.

What Is a Tamale?

A tamale is a portion of corn dough, usually with a filling, wrapped and steamed. The dough is masa, made from corn soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, then ground.

The word comes from the Nahuatl tamalli. In Spanish, one is a tamal and several are tamales. English speakers back-formed "tamale" from the plural, so "tamale" and "tamal" mean the same dish.

Tamales can be savory or sweet. In Mexico they are an everyday comfort food, eaten at breakfast or dinner, and also a festive dish.

What Are Tamales Made Of?

Tamales have four parts. Each one changes the final tamale.

Masa

Masa is the dough at the heart of every Mexican tamale. It is made by nixtamalization: dried corn kernels are cooked and soaked in an alkaline liquid, typically limewater, then washed, hulled and ground.

The process does three jobs. It loosens the hull so the corn grinds easily. It lets the dough hold together, which untreated cornmeal does not. And it improves nutrition by making nutrients easier for the body to use.

Cooks use either fresh masa, ground from nixtamal, or masa harina. Masa harina is the dried, ground form, reconstituted with water or broth and used like fresh masa. Maseca is a well-known brand.

Fat

Masa is combined with lard or vegetable shortening, plus broth or water, to make a thick batter. Traditionally, the fat and dough are whisked together until soft and fluffy. Many modern recipes add baking powder for a lighter texture.

Lard gives the richest flavor. Shortening is the common swap for vegetarian tamales. Some cooks use butter, oil or coconut oil.

Filling

Fillings vary by region, family and season. Pork is traditional in Central Mexico. Other common fillings include:

• Chicken in red chile, green salsa or mole
• Beef
• Cheese, alone or with roasted chile strips (rajas)
• Beans
• Vegetables, such as squash, corn or greens
• Seafood, in coastal regions
• Sweet fillings of fruit, raisins and nuts

A filling needs strong seasoning. The bland, steamed masa around it mutes flavor.

Wrapper

The wrapper holds the masa together while it steams. It is thrown away before the tamale is eaten.

Dried corn husks are the most common wrapper. Banana or plantain leaves are used in tropical areas, such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz and the Yucatán. Classic Maya tamales also used avocado leaves. Fresh corn leaves and even Swiss chard appear in some recipes.

Corn Husks vs Banana Leaves

The wrapper shapes the texture and flavor of a tamale.

• Where common: Most common wrapper overall (banana or plantain leaf: Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Yucatán, Central America)
• Prep: Soaked in hot water until pliable (banana or plantain leaf: Softened over a flame or in hot water)
• Shape: Long, narrow, folded (banana or plantain leaf: Flat, square or rectangular)
• Texture: Firmer, fluffier masa (banana or plantain leaf: Moister, softer, almost custard-like masa)
• Flavor: Mild, faint corn (banana or plantain leaf: Light grassy, tea-like aroma)
• Typical tamales: Red chile pork, rajas, sweet (banana or plantain leaf: Oaxacan mole tamales, Yucatán pibs)

Masa vs Masa Harina vs Cornmeal

These three corn products look alike, but only two make a true tamale.

• Fresh masa: Wet dough ground from nixtamal (nixtamalized?: Yes; use in tamales: Best; buy from a Mexican market or tortillería)
• Masa harina: Dried, ground nixtamal (nixtamalized?: Yes; use in tamales: The standard home option; mix with fat and broth)
• Cornmeal: Ground dried corn, untreated (nixtamalized?: No; use in tamales: Will not hold together like masa; used in Mississippi Delta hot tamales)

Nixtamalized corn is also what gives corn tortillas their flavor. To see why corn tortillas differ from flour, read that comparison.

Where Do Tamales Come From?

Tamales come from Mesoamerica, the region that covers much of Mexico and Central America. Some accounts place their origin as early as 8000 to 5000 BC.

The firmer evidence is later:

• Nixtamalization: The oldest evidence of the process comes from the southern coast of Guatemala, with equipment dated to 1200 to 1500 BC.
• San Bartolo murals: Archaeologists date tamales to about AD 100, based on images in the San Bartolo murals in Petén, Guatemala.
• Teotihuacan: Fossilized corn husks near the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon point to tamale eating there.
• Maya writing: A Classic Maya hieroglyph for tamales appears on pottery from the Classic era, about AD 200 to 1000.

Tamales also marked ceremonies. The Florentine Codex records tamales served to honor the birth of a child. Aztec women reportedly cooked tamales for two to three days before a wedding.

Tamales are portable and keep well, which made them useful food for travel, hunting and armies. The same idea, food you can carry, runs through the long history of the taco.

Types of Tamales in Mexico

Mexico has many regional tamales. One Mexico City festival alone offered 70 varieties.

• Red chile pork: Central Mexico (what sets it apart: Pork, the traditional central Mexican filling, in red chile and a corn husk)
• Tamales de rajas: Widespread (what sets it apart: Roasted poblano strips with cheese)
• Oaxacan tamales: Oaxaca (what sets it apart: Wrapped in banana leaf, often with mole)
• Tamal dulce: Oaxaca and elsewhere (what sets it apart: Sweet masa; Oaxaca's version has pineapple, raisins and blackberries)
• Corundas: Michoacán (what sets it apart: Triangular or round, wrapped in a long corn or reed leaf, eaten with crema and red salsa)
• Pibs: Yucatán Peninsula (what sets it apart: Large, square banana-leaf tamales about 15 inches across)
• Zacahuil: Huasteca (what sets it apart: Giant tamale that can feed 50 to 200 people)
• Guajolota: Mexico City (what sets it apart: A tamal served inside a bolillo or telera roll)

The guajolota, or torta de tamal, is street food. Vendors in Mexico City sell it near offices, markets, schools and churches, often with atole, a hot corn drink.

Mole tamales show how a sauce shapes a region. For more on Oaxaca's famous moles, see that guide.

Tamales Beyond Mexico

Tamales spread across the Americas, and each country made them its own.

• Guatemala: Black, red or sweet tamales are eaten on Christmas Eve and at midnight on December 24 and 31.
• El Salvador: Holiday tamales, including bean tamales pisques at Holy Week.
• Nicaragua: The nacatamal, a large tamale wrapped in plantain leaf, often eaten on Sunday mornings.
• Venezuela: The hallaca, served during the Christmas season.
• Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia: Related corn-dough dishes go by names such as bollo and humita.

In the United States, tamales have deep roots:

• Louisiana: Descendants of Spanish settlers from the 1721 presidio of Los Adaes were early tamale makers in the eastern US.
• Mississippi Delta: African American cooks developed the hot tamale, made from cornmeal rather than masa and simmered in husks.
• Street carts: In the early 1900s, vendors in states such as Louisiana and Texas sold tamales from carts. The cry "hot tamales" referred to temperature, not spice.
• Commercial tamales: Tamales were featured at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and XLNT Foods began making them in Los Angeles in 1894.

When Are Tamales Eaten?

Tamales are both daily food and holiday food.

• Every day: In modern Mexico, tamales are a comfort food for breakfast or dinner, bought from street vendors or made at home.
• Día de la Candelaria (February 2): Whoever finds the figurine in the rosca de reyes on Epiphany, January 6, hosts a family meal of tamales on Candlemas.
• Christmas: Families often hold a tamalada, a tamale-making party, around Christmas.
• Celebrations: Tamales have marked weddings and births since Aztec times.

Making tamales is a communal job, often done by the women of a family. Once you know the parts, follow a full step-by-step tamale recipe to make a batch at home.

Best Cheese for Tamales

The best cheese for tamales melts smoothly without turning greasy and keeps its shape in the steamer. Oaxaca cheese and Monterey Jack are the top choices.

• Oaxaca: Soft and stringy (best for: Rajas con queso, bean and cheese; notes: The classic; tear it into strips)
• Monterey Jack: Smooth and creamy (best for: Rajas, green chile and cheese; notes: Easy to find in the US)
• Asadero: Very smooth (best for: Cheese and chile tamales; notes: Mild, melts like Jack)
• Queso fresco: Softens, holds shape (best for: Inside sweet or mild tamales; crumbled on top; notes: Fresh, salty, does not ooze)
• Cotija: Does not melt (best for: Sprinkled on top after steaming; notes: Sharp and salty)
• Pepper Jack: Smooth (best for: Extra-spicy cheese tamales; notes: Adds heat)
• Cheddar: Can turn oily (best for: Mixed with Jack, Tex-Mex style; notes: Use sparingly)

Cut the cheese into strips about 1/2 inch thick rather than shredding it. Strips stay in the center, while shreds melt into the masa and leak.

How to Eat a Tamale

1. Let the tamale cool for a minute after steaming.
2. Unwrap it fully and set the husk or leaf aside. Do not eat the wrapper.
3. Eat the tamale with a fork, or by hand if it is small and firm.
4. Top it with salsa, red or green chile sauce, or crema.

Mexican-style tamales are often small, eaten as an antojito, or snack. Tex-Mex tamales tend to be larger and served as part of a main course, with rice and beans.

Tamales vs Other Corn Dishes

Tamales, enchiladas and tacos all start with corn, but they are built differently.

• Tamale: Raw masa dough, spread and filled (cooking: Steamed in a husk or leaf; sauce: Optional, on top)
• Enchilada: Finished corn tortilla, rolled (cooking: Baked or plated; sauce: Always, covering it)
• Taco: Finished corn or flour tortilla, folded (cooking: Filled and eaten by hand; sauce: Salsa on top)

An enchilada starts with a cooked tortilla. A tamale starts with raw dough. For the sauced, baked version, see these baked, sauced enchiladas. For a wider tour, see this guide to other classic Mexican dishes.

Are Tamales Gluten-Free?

Tamales made from pure masa or masa harina contain no wheat, since both come from corn. The risks come from what is added: fillings thickened with flour, seasoning blends, broth or shared kitchen equipment.

People avoiding gluten should ask how a tamale is made or check an allergen guide. Lard-based masa is not vegetarian, and cheese fillings contain dairy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is inside a tamale?

Inside a tamale is masa, a corn dough beaten with fat, wrapped around a filling. Common fillings are pork or chicken in chile sauce, cheese with roasted chiles, beans, or sweet fruit. Some tamales have no filling at all.

Do you eat the corn husk on a tamale?

No. The corn husk or leaf is only a wrapper that holds the tamale together while it steams. Unwrap the tamale and throw the husk away before eating.

Are tamales made with lard?

Traditional tamales are made with lard, which gives the masa its rich flavor and fluffy texture. Many cooks use vegetable shortening instead, especially for vegetarian tamales. Ask if you need to avoid pork fat.

What meat is in tamales?

Pork is the traditional meat in central Mexican tamales, often in red chile. Chicken, in green salsa or mole, is the next most common. Beef, and in coastal areas seafood, also appear.

Are tamales Mexican?

Tamales come from Mesoamerica, which includes Mexico and Central America. Mexico has the widest range of tamales, but Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other countries have their own versions.

What is the difference between a tamale and an enchilada?

A tamale is raw corn dough wrapped around a filling and steamed in a husk. An enchilada is a cooked corn tortilla rolled around a filling, covered in sauce and baked or plated.

Tamales at Mi Casa

At Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Breckenridge, handmade tamales are part of a scratch-made menu we have cooked since 1981. They sit alongside our enchiladas, chile rellenos and sizzling fajitas.

Our Carnitas Tamales contain dairy, as listed in our allergen chart, which also covers every other dish. Tamales can rotate, so ask your server what is on today. We are at 600 South Park Ave, steps from the Peak 9 base, open daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm.