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{{short description|Traditional Mesoamerican dish}}
{{About|the traditional Mesoamerican dish|the city in Ghana|Tamale, Ghana}}
{{Redirect|Tamal}}
{{Distinguish|Tomalley}}
{{Cleanup lang|article|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Tamales
| image = Tamale Oaxaqueño.jpg
| caption = Wrapped and unwrapped {{lang|es|tamales oaxaqueños}} (from [[Oaxaca]], Mexico) filled with {{lang|es|[[Mole sauce|mole negro]]}} and chicken
| alternate_name = 
| country = [[Guatemala]] and [[Mexico]]
| region = [[Mesoamerica]]
| creator = 
| course = Main course
| main_ingredient = Corn ([[maize]]) [[masa]], [[Banana leaf|banana leaves]], [[corn husks]]
| variations = [[Corunda]], [[guajolota]], [[uchepos]], [[zacahuil]]
| similar_dish = [[Humita]]s, [[pamonha]], [[hallaca]]
| other = 
}}
A '''tamale''', in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] {{Lang|es|'''tamal'''}}, is a traditional [[Mesoamerica]]n dish made of ''[[masa]]'', a dough made from [[nixtamalization|nixtamalized]] [[maize|corn]], which is [[steaming|steamed]] in a corn husk or [[Banana leaf|banana leaves]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book |title=Tamales |last=Daniel |first=Hoyer |date=2008 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |isbn=9781423603191 |edition=1st |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |oclc=199465927}}</ref> The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats, [[cheese]]s, fruits, vegetables, herbs, [[chili pepper|chilies]], or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.

''Tamale'' is an [[Anglicisation|anglicized]] version of the Spanish word {{lang|es|tamal}} (plural: {{lang|es|tamales}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=tamale |title=tamale |work=English–Spanish Dictionary |publisher=WordReference.com |access-date=2016-02-26 |archive-date=2020-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621104416/https://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=tamale |url-status=live }}</ref> {{Lang|es|Tamal}} comes from the [[Nahuatl]] {{lang|nah|tamalli}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dle.rae.es/tamal |title=tamal |publisher=[[Real Academia Española]] |access-date=2024-08-30 |archive-date=2023-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205020835/https://dle.rae.es/tamal |url-status=live}}</ref>

The English "tamale" is a [[back-formation]] from {{lang|es|tamales}}, with English speakers applying English pluralization rules, and thus interpreting the ''-e-'' as part of the [[Word stem|stem]], rather than part of the plural [[suffix]] ''-es''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/tamale |title=Origin and Meaning of Tamale |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=2018-11-25 |archive-date=2022-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716070219/https://www.etymonline.com/word/tamale|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Tamales-florentine-codex.png|right|thumb|Tamales served to honor the birth of a child. (''[[Florentine Codex]]'')]]

== Origin ==
Tamales originated in [[Mesoamerica]] as early as 8000 to 5000 BC.<ref name=":0"/>

The preparation of tamales is likely to have spread from the indigenous cultures in [[Mesoamerica]] to the rest of the Americas. According to archaeologists [[Karl Taube]], [[William Saturno]], and [[David Stuart (Mayanist)|David Stuart]], tamales may date from around 100 AD. They found pictorial references in the [[San Bartolo (Maya site)|Mural of San Bartolo]], in Petén, Guatemala.<ref>William A. Saturno, Karl A. Taube and David Stuart 2005 The Murals of San Bartolo, El Peten, Guatemala, Part 1: The North Wall. Ancient America, Number 7. Center for Ancient American Studies, Barnardsville, NC.</ref>

The [[Aztec]] and [[Maya civilization|Maya]] civilizations, as well as the [[Olmec]] and [[Toltec]] before them, used tamales as easily portable food for hunting trips, traveling large distances, and nourishing their armies.<ref name=":0" /> Tamales were also considered sacred, as they were seen as the food of the gods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coen |first=Kristina |title=Iconic Cuisine: Tamales of the Maya |url=https://historicalmx.org/items/show/154 |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=HistoricalMX |language=en |archive-date=2023-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604161951/https://historicalmx.org/items/show/154 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Aztec, Maya, Olmecs, and Toltecs as peoples considered corn as a central part of their cultural identity, so tamales played a large part in their rituals and festivals.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tamales, comadres and the meaning of civilization : secrets, recipes, history, anecdotes, and a lot of fun|date=2011|publisher=Wings Press|last1=Clark|first1=Ellen Riojas|last2=Tafolla|first2=Carmen|isbn=9781609401344|location=San Antonio, TX|oclc=714645014}}</ref>

== Mesoamerica ==

=== Aztec ===
The different forms of tamales eaten and sold in Aztec markets are well documented in the extensive [[Florentine Codex]] written by Reverend [[Bernardino de Sahagún]]. In book X he describes how Aztec tamales used a variety of corn for their flour base and were cooked in earth ovens, or [[Olla (pottery)|olla]], which were heated by the steam of dried cane grown and harvested for the express purpose of cooking tamales. Fillings would consist of meat (turkey, fish, frog, [[axolotl]], gopher), fruit, bean, squash seed, turkey egg and even no filling.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |last=Lawson Gray |first=Andrea |date=Jan 28, 2016 |title=Mexican foodways: Tamales and Candlemas |url=https://mymissiontastesofsf.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/mexican-foodways-tamales-and-candlemas/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710154518/https://mymissiontastesofsf.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/mexican-foodways-tamales-and-candlemas/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=January 30, 2016 |website=My Mission: Tastes of San Francisco}}</ref> They would be seasoned with chilis or seeds if they were savory and honey if they were sweet.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Bray |first=Warwick |date=May 1983 |title=Bernardino de Sahagún: Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain. Book 2. The Ceremonies. Translated by Arthur J. O. Anderson and Charles E. Dibble (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1981, $40). Pp. 247. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022216x00009949 |journal=Journal of Latin American Studies |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=252–253 |doi=10.1017/s0022216x00009949 |s2cid=145147744 |issn=0022-216X |access-date=2023-03-03 |archive-date=2024-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210223450/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-latin-american-studies/article/abs/bernardino-de-sahagun-florentine-codex-general-history-of-the-things-of-new-spain-book-2-the-ceremonies-translated-by-arthur-j-o-anderson-and-charles-e-dibble-salt-lake-city-university-of-utah-press-1981-40-pp-247/78503DD2CF99A97287504DA55E0484F5 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Tamales also held great religious and spiritual importance within Aztec culture. It was customary for Aztec women to stay up for two to three days cooking tamales before a wedding. (Codex, Book IX). In terms of festivities, the most notable was [[Uauhquiltamalcualiztli]], which was celebrated during the 18th month of the [[calendar round]]. The name of the celebration translates to 'The Eating of Tamales Stuffed with Amaranth Greens' and was a celebration of the fire deity [[Xiuhtecuhtli|Ixcozauhqui]].<ref name=":3" /> Another significant ritual for the Aztecs was the feast of [[Atamalqualiztli|Atamalcualiztli]] (eating of water tamales). This ritual, held every eight years for a whole week, was done by eating tamales without any seasoning, spices, or filling, which allowed the maize freedom from being overworked in the usual tamale cooking methods.<ref>{{cite book |last=Manuel. |first=Aguilar-Moreno |title=Handbook to life in the Aztec world |date=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195330830 |location=Oxford |oclc=81150666}}</ref>

[[File:Fenton vase.jpg|thumb|The Fenton Vase]]

=== Maya (pre-Columbian) ===
In the pre-Columbian era, the [[Maya peoples|Mayas]] ate tamales and often served them at feasts and festivals.<ref>{{cite journal |last=LeCount |first=Lisa J. |date=December 2001 |title=Like Water for Chocolate: Feasting and Political Ritual among the Late Classic Maya at Xunantunich, Belize |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=103 |issue=4 |pages=935–953 |doi=10.1525/aa.2001.103.4.935}}</ref> The [[Classic Maya]] hieroglyph for tamales has been identified on pots and other objects dating back to the [[Mesoamerican chronology#Classic Era|Classic Era]] (200–1000 CE), although they likely were eaten much earlier.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Staller |first1=John Edward |url=https://archive.org/details/precolumbianfood00stal |title=Pre-Columbian Foodways: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Food, Culture, and Markets in Ancient Mesoamerica |last2=Carrasco |first2=Michael |date=2010 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4419-0470-6 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/precolumbianfood00stal/page/n352 349]–354 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Tamales appear often in ceramic ware from the Mayan Classic era (200–1000 CE). The Fenton vase shows a plate of unwrapped tamales being offered as a penance to a powerful Mayan nobleman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maya: The Fenton Vase – Smarthistory |url=https://smarthistory.org/maya-the-fenton-vase/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310082014/https://smarthistory.org/maya-the-fenton-vase/ |archive-date=2023-03-10 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=smarthistory.org}}</ref> While tortillas are the basis for the contemporary Maya diet, remarkably little evidence exists for tortilla production among the Classic period Maya.  A lack of griddles in the archaeological record suggests that the primary foodstuff of the Mesoamerican diet may have been the ''tamal'', a cooked, vegetal-wrapped mass of maize dough.<ref name="Taube, K. A. 1989">Taube, K. A. (1989). The maize tamal in Classic Maya diet, epigraphy, and art. American Antiquity, 54(1), 31–51.</ref> Tamales are cooked without the use of ceramic technologies and therefore the form of the tamale is thought to predate the tortilla.<ref>Zizumbo-Villarreal, D., Flores-Silva, A. & Colunga-García Marín, P. (2012). The Archaic Diet in Mesoamerica: Incentive for Milpa Development and Species Domestication. Economic Botany, 66(4), 328–343.</ref> Similarities between the two maize products can be found in both the ingredients, preparation techniques, and the linguistic ambiguity exhibited by the pan-Mayan term ''wa'' referring to a basic, daily consumed maize product that can refer to either tortillas or tamales.<ref name="Taube, K. A. 1989" />

=== Toltec ===
While the exact origin of tamales has yet to be determined, the oldest people confirmed to have eaten them were the Toltecs, as archaeologists have found fossilized corn husks around the [[Pyramid of the Sun]] and the [[Pyramid of the Moon]] in [[Teotihuacan]]. (c. 250 BC – 750 CE)<ref>{{Cite book |author=Pilcher, Jeffrey M. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/49538230 |title=Vivan los tamales! : la comida y la construcción de la identidad mexicana |date=2001 |publisher=Reina Roja |isbn=968-5474-00-1 |oclc=49538230 |access-date=2023-03-10 |archive-date=2024-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210223614/https://search.worldcat.org/title/49538230 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==North America==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2025}} 
===Belize===
The tamale is a staple in [[Belize]], where it is also known as ''[[dukunu]]'', a sweet corn tamale that gets its name from the [[Garifuna]] people.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2018 |title=Where To Find Caribbean Food In LA |url=https://laist.com/news/food/where-to-find-caribbean-food-in-la |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117225658/https://laist.com/news/food/where-to-find-caribbean-food-in-la |archive-date=17 January 2022 |access-date=24 January 2022 |website=Laist.com}}</ref> Dukunus are mostly vegetarian and consist of roasted corn kernels blended with coconut milk as a base. Butter, salt, and sugar are also added. Dukunus filled with different meats are also made.

=== El Salvador ===
Tamales are a traditional dish in [[El Salvador]]. Tamales are typically eaten during holidays, like [[Christmas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Noelle |date=December 21, 2013 |title=Making tamales and extending a family history |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/la-xpm-2013-dec-21-la-fo-salvadoran-poet-20131221-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428024327/https://www.latimes.com/food/la-xpm-2013-dec-21-la-fo-salvadoran-poet-20131221-story.html |archive-date=April 28, 2022 |access-date=April 27, 2022 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Salvadoran tamales have a corn masa base and are wrapped in banana leaves. They contain fillings like chicken, vegetables, and/or beans. Corn tamales, or ''tamales de elote'', are also popular.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stowers |first=Sharon L. |date=August 10, 2012 |title=Gastronomic Nostalgia: Salvadoran Immigrants' Cravings for Their Ideal Meal |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03670244.2012.696008 |url-status=live |journal=Ecology of Food and Nutrition |language=en |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=374–393 |bibcode=2012EcoFN..51..374S |doi=10.1080/03670244.2012.696008 |issn=0367-0244 |pmid=22881356 |s2cid=8806917 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602210447/http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03670244.2012.696008 |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |access-date=April 28, 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Bean tamales, or ''tamales pisques'', are also consumed, typically during [[Holy Week]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-19 |title=Holidays Around the World: Semana Santa |url=https://hiaspa.org/semanasanta/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404172910/https://hiaspa.org/semanasanta/ |archive-date=2022-04-04 |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=HIAS Pennsylvania |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Guatemala===
[[File:091225 tamales.JPG|thumb|Black and red tamales in Guatemala]]

====Pre-Columbian Guatemala====
In the classical times of the Maya of [[Central America]] (Guatemala in particular), the great Mayan lords delighted in a baked dough bun during the [[winter solstice]], made of [[maize]] mixed with turkey, ''tepezcuintle'' ([[lowland paca]]) or venison, spices, and chili pepper, among other ingredients.

This meal was later integrated into modern Guatemalan traditions. For example, on Christmas Eve, families prepare black, red, or sweet tamales for family and friends to show gratitude. The tamales are often accompanied with chocolate, yolk bread, and punch, and participate in the [[Misa de Gallo|Mass of Gallo]], at midnight.

In Guatemala, eating tamales at midnight on December 24 and 31 is customary. Guatemalans also eat tamales for holiday celebrations, birthdays, and baptisms, so the tamale is considered an important dish in the culture of Guatemala.

Guatemala has many tamale varieties, from the traditional corn-husked tamale called a {{Lang|es|chuchito}}, to a sweet version of tamale, which uses the same corn dough, but is seasoned with honey or sugar combined with chocolate, almonds, plums, seeds, and peppers. Tamales are sold in stores and private homes (especially on Saturdays). A red light on a home at night is a sign that tamales are for sale at that home.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 April 2019 |title=Tamales de Guatemala |url=https://recetasdetamales.com/guatemaltecos/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527121708/https://recetasdetamales.com/guatemaltecos/ |archive-date=27 May 2020 |access-date=18 December 2019 |work=Recetas de Tamales |language=es}}</ref>

====Varieties====

*Red tamales owe their color to achiote and tomato and are made with corn dough stuffed with ''[[recado rojo]]'', raisins, chili peppers, chicken, beef or pork wrapped in banana leaves.
*Cambray tamales contain raisins and almonds. Sweet tamales are filled with sweet {{Lang|es|recado rojo}}. Black tamales are named after the color that chocolate gives them. Chipilin tamales wrapped in corn husks, parrot tamales, and corn tamales among others are also made. Cream tamales and cheese and anise seeds are also mixed with corn tamales.
*{{Lang|es|Chuchito}} is a typical and emblematic dish of Guatemala. It is a variation of the tamale made with corn dough, but a firmer consistency, although lard can be added to the dough to generate a more pleasant taste and consistency. It is usually mixed with {{Lang|es|recado rojo}} of tomato and with a filling that can be with chicken, beef, or pork. It is wrapped with dried cob leaves (tusa or bender). In some places, it is accompanied by cheese, sauce, or both.
*Rice tamales come from the Guatemalan highlands, where the typical corn dough is replaced by a thick dough of annealed rice with water and salt. The preparation of the {{Lang|es|recado rojo}} does not differ much from the original, since only some regions have the ingredients with which it is made.
*{{Lang|es|Paches}} is a tamale particularly from the highlands of Guatemala that uses [[potato]] instead of [[maize]] for the dough.
*{{Lang|es|Tamal}} or {{Lang|es|tamalito}} is dough only, with no meats or other fillings. This dish is used to accompany a meal and used to scoop food on the plate, or just eaten plain along with the main dish.

===Nicaragua===
[[File:Nacatamal with banana leaf and aluminum foil.jpg|thumb|{{Lang|es|Nacatamal}} with both banana leaf and aluminum foil wrapping]]
The most popular version of the Tamal in [[Nicaragua]] is the ''[[nacatamal]]'' and sometimes serves as an entire meal in itself. It is a traditional dish with indigenous origins. The name comes from the [[Nawat language|Nawat]] language spoken by the [[Nicarao people|Nicarao]], who were situated on the Southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, and translates to "meat tamale".<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 October 2015 |title=Nacatamales Are the Fatty, Meat-Filled Tamales of Nicaragua |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nacatamales-are-the-fatty-meat-filled-tamales-of-nicaragua/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223153923/https://www.vice.com/en/article/mgxpp4/nacatamales-are-the-fatty-meat-filled-tamales-of-nicaragua |archive-date=23 February 2023 |access-date=24 January 2022 |website=Vice.com}}</ref> The {{Lang|es|nacatamal}} is perhaps the most produced within traditional [[Nicaraguan cuisine]] and it is an event often reserved for Sundays at mid-morning. It is usually eaten together with fresh bread and coffee. Enjoying {{Lang|es|nacatamales}} during special occasions and to invite extended family and neighbors to also partake is a common occurrence.

{{Lang|es|Nacatamales}} are much larger in size in comparison to their counterparts, and made up of mostly nixtamalized corn {{Lang|es|masa}} (a kind of [[dough]] traditionally made from a process called {{Lang|es|nizquezar}}) and [[lard]]). The masa and liquified concoction of onion, garlic, tomato, salt, {{Lang|es|achiote}} ([[annatto]]), [[naranja agria]] and [[bell pepper]] is cooked and the result becomes the base for the nacatamal and it is also referred to as {{Lang|es|masa}}. This base is ladled onto plantain leaves used for wrapping into large individual portions. The filling usually consists of annatto-seasoned pork meat, rice, slices of [[potatoes]], bell peppers, [[tomatoes]], and [[onions]]; [[olive]]s, spearmint sprigs, and [[Pequin pepper|chile {{not a typo|congo}}]], a very small, egg-shaped chile found in Nicaragua. On occasion, prunes, raisins, or capers can be added. The ''masa'' and filling are then wrapped in plantain leaves, tied with a string, and made into pillow-shaped bundles – {{Lang|es|nacatamales}}. They are then steamed or [[pressure cooking|pressure-cooked]] for several hours. The entire process is very labor-intensive, and it often requires preparation over the course of two days; involving the whole family may be needed to complete it.

==== Varieties ====
*{{Lang|es|Pizque}} Are a much simpler version of a tamal in Nicaragua, they are wrapped in a banana leaf, and are eaten with cheese and cooked red beans.
*{{Lang|es|Pizque Relleno}} have a sweet flavor, filled with a mixture of ground beans sweetened with cane sugar or [[rapadura]] and are wrapped in banana leaves. They serve as a dessert.
*{{Lang|es|Yoltamal}} Is made with tender corn grains that gives it a slightly sweet flavor and wrapped in corn husks. It is generally eaten accompanied by quesillo or cheese, and sour cream.
*{{Lang|es|Yoltamal Relleno}}. A variety of the above stuffed with a mixture of rapadura and grated or ground cheese.
*{{Lang|es|Montucas Neosegovianas y Estelianas}}. A Northern Nicaraguan tamal make with chicken or hen meat, wrapped in a banana leaf and tied.
*{{Lang|es|Paco}} Is a Western Nicaraguan tamal mostly found in [[Leon, Nicaragua|León]]. that consists of masa mixed with mashed green plantain, sugar, honey and salt. It's wrapped in tempisque or fig leaf and cooked.

===Modern Mexico===
[[File:Tamales mexicanos navidad2004.jpg|right|thumb|A batch of [[Mexico|Mexican]] tamales in the ''tamalera'']]
[[File:Tamal de zarzamoras.png|thumb|A {{Lang|es|tamal dulce}} breakfast tamale from [[Oaxaca]], Mexico. It contains [[pineapple]], [[raisin]]s and [[Blackberry|blackberries]].]]
In the present day, it is common in certain Maya areas to steam tamales in a spherical vessel known as a ''tamalero,'' as opposed to boiling them'','' this practice has been linked back to the Classic Maya period due to the presence of boiler scale in Classic Maya pottery.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Coe |first=Sophie D. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.7560/711556 |title=America's First Cuisines |date=1994-12-31 |isbn=9781477309704 |doi=10.7560/711556 |access-date=2023-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210223440/https://chooser.crossref.org/?doi=10.7560%2F711556 |archive-date=2024-02-10 |url-status=live}}</ref> The other common method of cooking tamales was on a ''comal'' which is a large flat stone, this method is also used to cook tortillas. In addition to the leaves of plantain and banana which are commonly used today, Mayan tamales were commonly wrapped in the leaves of avocado or [[Piper (plant)|piper]] plants, which would be gathered by men during the rainy season.<ref name=":4" /> While meat and fish were the customary fillings of tamales of this era, squash seeds and flowers, and greens such as ''[[Cnidoscolus aconitifolius|chaya]],'' or ''[[Crotalaria longirostrata|chipilin]]'' were also common. Fray [[Diego de Landa|Diego de Landa Calderón]] also spoke of 'special breads' [tamales] which were used specifically as offerings, with fillings such as deer heart, or quail.<ref>{{Cite book |last=de. |first=Landa, Diego |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1327853176 |title=Relación de las cosas de Yucatán. |date=31 August 2010 |publisher=Linkgua |isbn=978-84-9897-653-3 |oclc=1327853176 |access-date=10 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210223502/https://search.worldcat.org/title/1327853176 |archive-date=10 February 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Because of the convenience offered by tamales, specific tamales were made for hunters and travelers. These tamales were cooked with extra wood ashes in order to create a hard 'shell' around the tamales when dried, this allowed tamales to keep for up to 20 days.<ref name=":4" />

Tamales begin with a dough made from ground [[Nixtamalization|nixtamalized]] corn ([[hominy]]), called ''[[masa]]'', or alternatively a rehydrated ''masa'' powder, such as [[Gruma|Maseca]]. It is combined with lard or vegetable shortening, along with broth or water, to bring the dough to the consistency of a very thick batter. It is traditional to whisk the lard, and whisk the resulting batter, with the intent of producing the signature soft and fluffy texture. Modern recipes may use baking powder to achieve a similar effect. Chili purees or dried chili powders are also occasionally added to the batter, which in addition to the spice can cause some tamales to appear red in color. Tamales are generally wrapped in corn [[husk]]s or [[plantain (cooking)|plantain]] leaves before being steamed, with the choice of husk depending on the region. They usually have a sweet or savory filling and are usually steamed until firm.

Tamale-making is a ritual that has been part of Mexican life since pre-Hispanic times, when special fillings and forms were designated for each specific festival or life event. Today, tamales are typically filled with meats, cheese, or vegetables, especially chilies. Preparation is complex and time-consuming, and an excellent example of Mexican communal cooking, where this task usually falls to the women.<ref name=":5" /> Tamales are a favorite [[comfort food]] in Mexico, eaten as both breakfast and dinner, and often accompanied by hot ''[[atole]]'' or ''[[champurrado]]'' and ''[[Rice pudding|arroz con leche]]'' (rice porridge, "rice with milk") or maize-based beverages of indigenous origin. Street vendors can be seen serving them from huge, steaming, covered pots ({{Lang|es|tamaleras}}) or ''[[ollas]]''.

Instead of corn husks, banana or plantain leaves are used in tropical parts of the country, such as [[Oaxaca]], [[Chiapas]], [[Veracruz]], and the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]. These tamales are rather square in shape, often very large—15&nbsp;inches (40&nbsp;cm)—and these larger tamales are commonly known as ''pibs'' in the Yucatán Peninsula. Another very large type of tamale is {{Lang|myn|zacahuil}}, made in the [[La Huasteca|Huasteca]] region of Mexico. Depending on the size, {{Lang|myn|zacahuil}} can feed between 50 and 200 people; they are made during festivals and holidays, for [[quinceañera]]s, and on Sundays to be sold at the markets.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-09-15 |title=Mexican tamale called the zacahuil is three feet long |url=https://www.vallartadaily.com/living/foodies/zacahuil-tamale/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906223811/https://www.vallartadaily.com/living/foodies/zacahuil-tamale/ |archive-date=2017-09-06 |access-date=2017-07-26 |work=Puerto Vallarta News}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/sgvCOWgOhmU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200228190001/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgvCOWgOhmU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |date=2013-09-15 |title=El Zacahuil, El Tamal Gigante de la Huasteca, La Ruta del Sabor, Axtla de Terrazas SLP |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgvCOWgOhmU |access-date=2017-07-26 |publisher=ComidasDeMexico |language=es |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Caribbean==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2025}}
===Cuba===
In [[Cuba]], before the 1959 Revolution, street vendors sold Mexican-style tamales wrapped in corn husks, usually made without any kind of spicy seasoning. Cuban tamales being identical in form to those made in [[Mexico City]] suggests they were brought over to Cuba during the period of intense cultural and musical exchange between Cuba and Mexico after the 1920s.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

A well-known Cuban song from the 1950s, "{{Lang|es|Los Tamalitos de Olga}}", (a [[cha-cha-cha (music)|cha-cha-cha]] sung by [[Orquesta Aragón]]) celebrated the delicious tamales sold by a street vendor in [[Cienfuegos]]. A peculiarly Cuban invention is the dish known as {{Lang|es|tamal en cazuela}}, basically consisting of tamale masa with the meat stuffing stirred into the masa, and then cooked in a pot on the stove to form a kind of hearty cornmeal porridge.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Three Guys From Miami|title=Cuban Tamal en Cazuela|url=https://icuban.com/food/tamal_cazuela.html|website=Three Guys From Miami|access-date=27 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202031054/https://icuban.com/food/tamal_cazuela.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Dominican Republic===
In the [[Dominican Republic]], {{Lang|es|guanimo}} are Dominican tamales stuffed with ''[[picadillo]]''. The name {{Lang|es|guanimo}} has its origin in the native [[Taino|Taíno]]s.

===Puerto Rico===
''[[Guanime]]'' is a [[Puerto Rican cuisine|Puerto Rican dish]] that can be traced back to pre-Columbian times. It consists of corn masa that is stuffed with beans, seafood, nuts, or meat, and then wrapped in corn husks slowly cooked on a grill.

{{Lang|es-pr|Guanimes}} are prepared in a plain version, without the stuffing, and served with stewed salted cod fish. Since the arrival of Europeans, {{Lang|es-pr|guanimes}} have lost their stuffing. Contemporary {{Lang|es-pr|guanimes}} are made with corn masa seasoned with coconut milk, lard, broth, and annatto, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk.

The several versions of {{Lang|es-pr|guanimes}} can be made with green plantains, [[cassava]], and a sweet version made with sweet plantains and cornmeal.

The {{Lang|es-pr|guanime}} is also related to the [[pasteles|pastel]], a root tamale dating to around the same time as the native Taíno {{Lang|es-pr|guanimes}}.

===Trinidad and Tobago===
In [[Trinidad and Tobago]], the dish is called a ''pastelle'' and is popular in many households during the entire Christmas season and New Year celebrations. It is usually made with cornmeal and filled with cooked, seasoned meat (chicken and beef being the most popular), raisins, olives, capers, and other seasonings. The entire ''pastelle'' is wrapped in a banana leaf, bound with [[twine]] and steamed. When fully cooked, the banana leaf is removed to reveal the brightly yellow-colored dish. It is often enjoyed as is or along with a meal. The sweet version is called ''paymee''.<ref name="Albala300">{{cite book|author=Ken Albala|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTo6c_PJWRgC&pg=RA1-PA300|access-date=4 August 2012|date=25 May 2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-37626-9|page=300}}</ref>
[[File:Blue drawers.jpg|thumb|Jamaican ''tie-a-leaf'' or ''blue drawers (duckunoo)'' in a [[banana leaf]].]]
[[File:Jamaican cornmeal duckunoo.jpg|thumb| Jamaican ''tie-a-leaf'' made with ''cornmeal, sugar, coconut milk, spices, vanilla and raisins.'']]
===Jamaica===
In [[Jamaica]], there is a traditional dessert called [[duckunoo]] or ''duckanoo'', also referred to as ''tie-a-leaf'' or ''blue drawers'' (draws).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-08-01 |title= Sweet treat for Jamaican foodies|url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130801/cook/cook1.html|access-date=2024-12-06|newspaper= Jamaica Gleaner|language=en}}</ref> It is a variation of ''tamal dulce (sweet tamale)'', and is typically made with batata or sweet potato, coconut, and/or cornmeal, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and anise, brown sugar, coconut milk and vanilla. Sometimes, raisins and grated green banana are added. The mixture is tied up in a banana leaf or corn husk, and then cooked in boiling water. 

Similarly, it is also made in [[Belize]], [[Haiti]], [[French Guiana]] and some other [[Caribbean]] islands. Other names include: ''dokonon'' (in French Guiana), ''doukounou'' (in Haiti), ''paime'' (in Trinidad & Tobago), penmi (in St Lucia) and ''dukunu'' / ''ducunu'' or ''tamalito'' (in Belize).

==South America==
[[File:Humitas_en_chala_tipicas_de_Argentina8.JPG|thumb|right|South American-style humitas]]
[[Humita]]s (from Quechua humint'a) is a Native South American dish from pre-Hispanic times, a traditional food from the Andes and it can be found in [[Colombia]], [[Bolivia]], [[Chile]], [[Ecuador]], [[Peru]], and Northwest [[Argentina]]. It consists of fresh [[choclo]] (Peruvian corn) pounded to a paste, wrapped in a fresh corn husk, and slowly steamed or boiled in a pot of water. In Bolivia it is known as huminta and in [[Brazil]] as [[pamonha]], made of fresh, not [[nixtamalized]], corn paste.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

===Venezuela===
[[Hallaca]] is a traditional meal from Venezuela that resembles the aspect of a tamal. It consists of corn dough stuffed with a stew of beef, pork, or chicken and other ingredients such as raisins, capers, and olives, fresh onion rings, red and green bell pepper slices. There are also vegetarian options with black beans or tofu. Hallacas are folded in plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled. The dish is traditionally served during the Christmas season and has several regional variants in Venezuela. It has been described as a national dish of Venezuela but it can be found also in variants. A characteristic of the hallaca is the delicate corn dough made with consommé or broth and lard colored with annatto.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

===Peru===
[[File:El_vivandero_Ño_Juan_José_(cropped).tif|thumb|Juan José Cabezudo, a Peruvian chef.]]
Tamales were one of the dishes that the Peruvian chef [[Juan José Cabezudo]] was famous for serving from his food stand near the [[Plaza Mayor, Lima|Plaza Mayor]] in Lima.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Juan José Cabezudo: afroperuano, cocinero y travesti en la Lima del s. XIX {{!}} Blog de Aldo Panfichi – Política, Sociedad, Fútbol |url=http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/blog/aldopanfichi/2018/04/21/juan-jose-cabezudo-afroperuano-cocinero-y-travesti-en-la-lima-del-s-xix/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |language=es-ES |archive-date=2021-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508163214/http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/blog/aldopanfichi/2018/04/21/juan-jose-cabezudo-afroperuano-cocinero-y-travesti-en-la-lima-del-s-xix/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=El cocinero más famoso de la independencia: Juan José Cabezudo {{!}} Buenazo.pe |url=https://buenazo.pe/notas/2021/07/22/cocinero-famoso-independencia-juan-jose-cabezudo-425 |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=buenazo.pe |date=26 July 2021 |language=es |archive-date=2022-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731220633/https://buenazo.pe/notas/2021/07/22/cocinero-famoso-independencia-juan-jose-cabezudo-425 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Philippines and Guam==
[[File:Binaki (Steamed Corn Cake) 1.jpg|thumb|''[[Binaki]]'', a type of sweet tamale from [[Bukidnon]], Philippines]]
In the Philippines and Guam, which were governed by Spain as a province of Mexico, different forms of tamale-like foods exist. In the Philippines, they merged with the native leaf-wrapped rice cakes (''[[kakanin]]'') and are made with a dough derived from ground rice and are filled with seasoned chicken or pork with the addition of peanuts and other seasonings such as sugar.  In some places, such as Pampanga, where it is popularly known as ''bobotu'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Drilon|first=Ces Oreña|title=The day lifestyle diva Martha Stewart planted rice in Pampanga|url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/08/22/19/the-day-lifestyle-diva-martha-stewart-planted-rice-in-pampanga|access-date=2021-02-23|website=ABS-CBN News|archive-date=2021-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624071430/https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/08/22/19/the-day-lifestyle-diva-martha-stewart-planted-rice-in-pampanga|url-status=live}}</ref> and Batangas provinces, the tamales are wrapped in banana leaves, but sweet corn varieties from the Visayas region are wrapped in corn husks similar to the sweet corn tamales of the American Southwest and Mexico.  Because of the work involved in the preparation of tamales, they usually only appear during the special holidays or other big celebrations.  Various {{Lang|es|tamal}} recipes have practically disappeared under the pressures of modern life and the ease of fast food.  Several varieties of tamales are also found in the Philippines.<ref name="bin">{{cite web|url=http://www.binisaya.com/node/21%26search%3Droot%26word%3Dbaki|title=Baki|work=Binisaya – Cebuano Dictionary and Thesaurus.|publisher=Binisaya.com|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914122119/http://www.binisaya.com/node/21%26search%3Droot%26word%3Dbaki|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="inato">{{cite web|url=http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/2008/06/pintos-cebuano-sweet-tamales.html|title=Pintos (Cebuano Sweet Tamales)|date=2 June 2008|publisher=Inato Lang|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=13 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013195940/http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/2008/06/pintos-cebuano-sweet-tamales.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="adv">{{cite web|title=Binaki the Corn Cake from Cagayan de Oro City|url=http://www.adventuringfoodie.com/2014/02/binaki-corn-cake-cagayan.html/|website=AdventuringFoodie|date=11 February 2014|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=16 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916105233/http://www.adventuringfoodie.com/2014/02/binaki-corn-cake-cagayan.html/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Tamales, ''tamalis'', ''tamalos'', and ''pasteles'' are different varieties found throughout the region. Some are sweet, some are savory, and some are sweet and savory. Mostly wrapped in banana leaves and made of rice, either the whole grain or ground and cooked with coconut milk and other seasonings, they are sometimes filled with meat and seafood, or are plain and have no filling.  There are certain varieties, such as ''tamalos'', that are made of a sweet corn masa wrapped in a corn husk or leaf. There are also varieties made without masa, like ''tamalis'', which are made with small fish fry wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, similar to the {{Lang|es|tamales de charal}} from Mexico, where the small fish are cooked whole with herbs and seasonings wrapped inside a corn husk without masa. The number of varieties has dwindled through the years so certain types of tamales that were once popular in the Philippines have become lost or are simply memories.  The variety found in Guam, known as ''tamales guiso'', is made with corn masa and wrapped in corn husks, and as with the Philippine tamales, are clear evidence of the influence of the galleon trade that occurred between the ports of Manila and Acapulco.<ref name="pp">{{cite web|title=Binaki Recipe|url=http://www.panlasangpinoyrecipes.com/binaki-recipe/|website=Panlasang Pinoy Recipes|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918165514/https://www.panlasangpinoyrecipes.com/binaki-recipe/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ha">{{cite web|title=Binaki|url=http://www.pinoyhapagkainan.com/binaki/|website=Hapagkainan|date=23 May 2014|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=18 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918175037/http://www.pinoyhapagkainan.com/binaki/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="pf">{{cite web|title=Pintos and Budbod Kabog: Best of North Cebu Pasalubong|url=http://penfires.com/pintos-and-budbod-kabog-best-north-cebu-pasalubong/|website=Penfires|date=19 September 2012|access-date=8 September 2016|archive-date=22 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922235722/http://penfires.com/pintos-and-budbod-kabog-best-north-cebu-pasalubong/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Biyaki">{{cite web |title=Biyaki |url=https://pinoyfoodillustrated.blogspot.com/2015/04/biyaki.html |website=Philippine Food Illustrated |date=26 April 2015 |access-date=3 January 2019 |archive-date=13 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513220906/https://pinoyfoodillustrated.blogspot.com/2015/04/biyaki.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mga Sangkap ng Bawat Uri ng Minatamis na Pagkain |url=http://nahidahhadjisobair.blogspot.com/2013/04/maranao-foodsmenu.html |website=Maranao Foods/Menu |date=22 April 2013 |access-date=3 January 2019 |archive-date=21 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221221831/http://nahidahhadjisobair.blogspot.com/2013/04/maranao-foodsmenu.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==United States==
[[File:Mississippi tamale.jpg|thumb|right|Delta-style tamales from [[Clarksdale, Mississippi]]]]

While Mexican-style and other Latin American-style tamales are featured at ethnic restaurants throughout the United States, some distinctly indigenous styles also are made.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

The [[Choctaw]] and [[Chickasaw]] make a dish called ''banaha'', which can be stuffed or not (plain). Usually, the filling (ranging from none, fried bacon, turkey, deer, nuts, and vegetables such as onions, potatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes) can either be filled or mixed with the masa and steamed in a corn husk.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

[[Cherokee]] tamales, also known as bean bread or "broadswords", were made with hominy (in the case of the Cherokee, the masa was made from corn boiled in water treated with wood ashes instead of lime) and beans, and wrapped in green corn leaves or large tree leaves and boiled, similar to the meatless pre-Columbian bean and masa tamales still prepared in Chiapas, central Mexico, and Guatemala.

In northern Louisiana, tamales have been made for several centuries. The Spanish established presidio [[Los Adaes]] in 1721 in modern-day [[Robeline, Louisiana]]. The descendants of these Spanish settlers from central Mexico were the first tamale makers to arrive in the eastern US. [[Zwolle, Louisiana]], has a Tamale Fiesta every year in October.

In the [[Mississippi Delta]], African Americans developed a spicy tamale called the [[Hot tamale (food)|hot tamale]] that is made from [[cornmeal]] instead of masa and is boiled in corn husks.<ref name="zeldes" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tamaletrail.com/ |title=Hot Tamale Trail – Tamales in the Mississippi Delta |publisher=Tamaletrail.com |date=2011-08-26 |access-date=2013-12-15 |archive-date=2013-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121142325/http://www.tamaletrail.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=All Things Considered |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5357500 |title=Tamales, Another Treat from the Delta |publisher=NPR |access-date=2013-12-15 |archive-date=2013-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204031814/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5357500 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Tamales have been eaten in the broader United States since at least 1893, when they were featured at the [[World's Columbian Exposition]].<ref name="zeldes">{{cite web | last = Zeldes | first = Leah A. | title = The unique Chicago tamale, a tuneful mystery | work = Dining Chicago | publisher = Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide | date = Dec 18, 2009 | url = http://blog.diningchicago.com/2009/12/18/the-unique-chicago-tamale-a-tuneful-mystery/ | access-date = Dec 18, 2009 | archive-date = December 21, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091221190811/http://blog.diningchicago.com/2009/12/18/the-unique-chicago-tamale-a-tuneful-mystery/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> In 1894, when tamales were the most popular ethnic food in Los Angeles, [[XLNT Foods]] started making them. The company is the oldest continuously operating Mexican food brand in the United States, and one of the oldest companies in Southern California.<ref name="LAT 2019-12-23">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-23/xlnt-tamales-long-beach-santa-fe-importers|title=The XLNT tamales go back 125 years, capturing nostalgia for Californians across the U.S.|last=Arellano|first=Gustavo|date=2019-12-23|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-31|archive-date=2019-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231044122/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-23/xlnt-tamales-long-beach-santa-fe-importers|url-status=live}}</ref>

A tradition of roving tamale sellers was documented in early 20th-century [[blues music]].<ref name="zeldes" /> They are the subject of the well-known 1937 blues/ragtime song "[[They're Red Hot]]" by [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]].

[[File:Tamale pie.jpg|thumb|[[Tamale pie]]]]

Around the beginning of the 20th century, the name "[[tamale pie]]" was given to meat pies and casseroles made with a cornmeal crust and typical tamale fillings arranged in layers. Although characterized as Mexican food, these forms are not popular in Mexican American culture in which the individually wrapped style is preferred.<ref name="ZangerOxford">{{cite book |last= Zanger |first= Mark H. |editor= Andrew F. Smith |title= The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink |chapter= Tamale pie |page= [https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/581 581] |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AoWlCmNDA3QC |date= May 1, 2007 |publisher= Oxford University Press |isbn= 978-0-19-530796-2 |access-date= December 27, 2012 |url= https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/581 }}</ref>

The Indio International Tamale Festival held every December in [[Indio, California]], has earned two Guinness World Records: the largest tamale festival (154 000 in attendance, December  2002)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Largest tamale festival |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/77029-largest-tamale-festival |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Guinness World Records |date=December 2002 |language=en-gb |archive-date=2022-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721171838/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/77029-largest-tamale-festival |url-status=live }}</ref> and the world's largest tamale, over one foot (0.3 m) in diameter and 40 feet (12.2 m) in length, created by Chef John Sedlar, since beaten by H. Ayuntamiento de Centro Villahermosa (Mexico) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, on 25 November 2018. The current record stands at 50.05 m.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Longest steamed corn flour cake |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-tamale |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Guinness World Records |date=25 November 2018 |language=en-gb |archive-date=2021-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208180059/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-tamale/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2006 Guinness book calls the festival "the world's largest cooking and culinary festival".{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}

==See also==
{{stack|{{portal|Food|Latin America|Mexico}}}}
{{Div col|colwidth=13em}}
* [[Ada (food)]]
* [[Lepet]]
* [[Laulau]]
* [[Botok]]
* [[Conkies]]
* [[Duckunoo]]
* [[Hallacas]]
* [[Humitas]]
* [[List of maize dishes]]
* [[List of pork dishes]]
* [[List of stuffed dishes]]
* [[Pamonha]]
* [[Pasteles]]
* [[Pepes]]
* [[Otak-otak]]
* [[Suman (food)]]
* [[Kenkey]]
* [[Tamale Guy]]
* ''[[Zongzi]]''
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Dumplings}}
{{Mexican cuisine}}
{{Corn}}
{{Street food}}
{{Christmas}}
{{Filipino cuisine}}

[[Category:American cuisine]]
[[Category:Ancient dishes]]
[[Category:Belizean cuisine]]
[[Category:Christmas food]]
[[Category:Cuban cuisine]]
[[Category:Colombian cuisine]]
[[Category:Cuisine of the Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:Dominican Republic cuisine]]
[[Category:Dumplings]]
[[Category:Guamanian cuisine]]
[[Category:Guatemalan cuisine]]
[[Category:Honduran cuisine]]
[[Category:Latin American cuisine]]
[[Category:Maize dishes]]
[[Category:Mesoamerican cuisine]]
[[Category:Mexican cuisine]]
[[Category:Nicaraguan cuisine]]
[[Category:Filipino cuisine]]
[[Category:Pork dishes]]
[[Category:Salvadoran cuisine]]
[[Category:South American cuisine]]
[[Category:Street food]]
[[Category:Steamed foods]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:Street food in Mexico]]
[[Category:Thanksgiving food]]
[[Category:Native American cuisine]]