Homemade Tamales

Relationship: Child of im/migrant
Group:
These are our homemade tamales
These are our homemade tamales

Have you tried the best traditional Mexican food out there which are tamales? Let me tell you about them.Tamales became a traditional food in my culture and it also is a tradition for many other families. They are usually made during the winter time like Christmas time and Thanksgiving. Tamales were the first food that I learned how to make and it also was my mom's. That's why it's so special to me. I remember feeling so much pressure cooking tamales. I wanted them to come out perfect for this Christmas. I also remember my mom looking over my shoulder every minute or so. All I saw was a big black hoodie on the corner of my eye. I didn't want to make a mistake because I knew she was going to want to give up on me. She was in a big hurry. We made about 500 tamales (my family is huge). They were filled with chicken and were usually served with a famous sauce recipe of ours and a huge glass of very cold milk. The smell of the tamales were amazing. All I said was “Wow I did good” my mom just laughed and said “You did that.” She really is my biggest support system.This is important to me because it's the exact same recipe as my grandma's recipe. Tamales play such a big part in my family because it is something everyone looks forward to. Everyone loves tamales! I hope you can try some soon. They are really one of the best foods ever!

Place(s): Napa CA
Year: 1999

– Araceli V

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant