@@BELCAN57 amen sir!!!. My momma taught me how to cook n clean out of necessity (she had horrific arthritis in her hands and could barely use her hands without pain). There are a few recipes she never wrote down that I can't duplicate it drives me nuts.
@@erictroxell715 Don't give up! Are there any friends or relatives of hers that are still here? You might be able to get some clue or another. I got that missing something-something from a then-neighbor about one of my mom's recipes. I tracked her down and called and she told me, "Oh, everyone on our street put a tiny bit of freshly-ground nutmeg in spaghetti sauce back then! It was the thing to do!" Sure enough, adding that ingredient in brought back a taste memory of my mom's spaghetti sauce from the 1970s. Plus, it was fun chatting with this now older lady from way back. So if there's anyone you might could still talk to, maybe think about asking that person. You never know!
I'm 66 and have seen many things that were once ubiquitous vanish. The milkman delivering milk to your doorstep. Bakery trucks driving through the neighborhood selling breads and pastries. More recently, phone booths and pay phones have all but disappeared. On the other hand, some things which were rare or unheard of have now become commonplace. When I was a kid, almost all stores were closed by 9 p.m. And many stores were closed on Sundays. The first convenience stores I saw were 7/11s, which got their name by the fact that they were open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. Nowadays most supermarkets are open 'til 11, and convenience stores are open 24 hours a day.
Not only were many stores closed on Sundays, I know of small towns in Georgia (Clayton being one) where up through the late '70s, most (if not all) of the stores would close around 2 p.m. on Wednesdays.
@@ShawnD1027 That is interesting. I wonder why stores closed for the day at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Could it be for mid-week Bible study classes? That's the only thing I can think of. (related to this topic)
@@scottkoenig6326 From the UK and yep many stores had 1/2 day closing in the week and then opened 1/2 day Saturday that way the staff hours were for 5 days. Banks opened at 09.00 and closed at 15.00 and weekdays only.
@@scottkoenig6326 They were closed half a day on Wednesday so they could open all day Saturday. Saturday was the day most farmers would come in to town. Also most stores in the south didn't open on Sunday because they were not allowed to. They were called Sunday Blue Laws.
@@scottkoenig6326, I really doubt Bible study was the reason (and, no, I'm not oblivious to Bible-Thumpers). It's far more likely because of the reasons @IMBlakely and @Pete Brian said.
For all the veterans of this forgotten conflict, I would like to say thank you all for your service. Thank you and can I get a couple of more napkins please.
Tamale street vendors are still quite active in parts of NYC. In my neighborhood in West Harlem, for years (up until everything shut down last year for COVID), the end of my evening commute would be punctuated by a song of "Tamales-tamales!" from a lovely local woman selling (presumably) home-made tamales near the top of the subway stairs, the tamales kept warm in an insulated cooler and sold for a few dollars each. I only bought the snacks from her once or twice but they were quite good. I came to look forward to that call for "Tamales-tamales!" as a comforting reminder that I'd made it home after a long day in the office downtown. I truly hope she's holding out okay during the pandemic, and that she returns to be a recognizable feature of the neighborhood once things regain some semblance of normalcy here...
I grew up in California in the 60's and remember Tamales being sold by street vendors pushing carts then using hot truck. Personally my fondest memories was grabing a quick lunch from a tamales vendor outside of school i loved them. Thank you for this wonderful look back in to the History of the Tamales
There are at least a couple tamal vendors who go through my Long Beach, California, neighborhood weekly, one a man with a pushcart and one a woman in an SUV who sells them out of the trunk.
It was still common even back in 2005-2013 and most likely even before then and most likely still now, even as far out as San Bernardino or Riverside/Lake Elsinore there were still tamale ladies that came and sold tamales. I left the US in 2017 and moved to Australia and I really miss Mexican food so much.
Whenever I would get tamales as a gift I would be so happy and appreciative because of all the hard work that goes into making them that makes the gift so special..........
In Houston they never went away. I can still get tamales from a little abuelita selling them on the street in the right parts of town. There's nothing better.
Every time I work down in the Rio Grande Valley I always bring some Tamales back with me. I work all over and I’d say they have the best. Houston are is a strong number two though
@@laidbackeasttexan I agree I lived in the RGV and Mexico and the denizens of the RGV really love tamales. They can give the neighbors next door a run for their money. Better than Monterrey's in my opinion. Mexico City tamales are supergood and have an amazing variety of flavors and colors (yes colors, and not from vegetable coloring, they use fruit juice or rose water to color sweet tamales). And in Merida next to a famous bakery in Paseo Montejo by the Monument to the Flag rotunda called Panaderia Montejo there was an enclave of older Mayan ladies chatting in Yucatec Mayan as they sold you banana leaf tamales.
@@roverworld7218 I’d love to try some. Unfortunately due to the “climate” in Mexico my company doesn’t send us south of the border anymore. The RGV or EP is as close as I’ve gotten in years. Had a grandmother and aunts that retired down in the RGV as a kid. Crossing the border was a daily treat when we visited. Miss those days
I love this episode! I was born and raised in Arizona, and I still live here. My grandmother and mother would make tamales every Christmas. My mother-in-law shared the same tradition. I make tamales every once in awhile. My oldest son , now in his 30's make them as well. He makes them better than all us old women. You could say he's a modern millennial tamale man.
And then Texans assume the tamalera is here illegally and call ICE. And the dude who brought my surname here came to the modern US in the 1760s (other branches even earlier) so don't tell me to swim back where I came from unless you want to go first.
My dad as a child sold hot tamale for a lady in his neighborhood who made them in her kitchen. Many times dad was paid with tamales which was sometimes the only meal the family had on that day. Depression era time frame in indianapolis. Thank you for your history lessons
I grew up eating Hormel canned Beef Tamales, then in my late teens I had some at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I was like "so THATS what they are suppose to taste like!" I never went back to the Hormel ones.
Those Hormel jobs are based on Louisiana hot tamales, not on Mexican tamales. LA hot tamales use plain cornmeal not masa, and they are simmered in spicy broth not steamed, they came from a migrant recipe adaptation in upper LA and lower AR, maybe some of MS.(They didn't have a convenient source of masa.) Still, canned are not as good.
@@juresichj I don’t hate canned tamales. I wouldn’t eat them if fresh tamales were available (luckily they are abundant where I live), but if there was no other way to get tamales . . .
@@mytech6779 I’m curious as to where the LA tamales originated. Was this a later local modification of tamales from further south, or an original indigenous variety?
I used to drive half an hour to buy tamales from a man selling them from a giant pot set in the trunk of his car. He would set up shop in the corner of a gas station parking lot, and ask if you wanted "juice". They were wonderful. Thanks for sparking that memory.
Fascinating story, but have to say the "Americanized" tamale still can't hold a candle to those still served by street vendors in Mexico or even as far south as Panama. A food that has been a staple for centuries. Have discovered so many variations in my travels, it's fascinating in it's own right, from corn husks to banana leaves, from goat to conch. And I love them all.
I learned a tamale recipe from my fellow student teacher Jesus de la Garza, who had just married an Angla and so the couple was learning la cocina Mexicana/the family recipes from his mom. My partner and I got to learn from them. His grandmother had been a young refugee during the tumult of the Mexican Revolution and fled to San Antonio where she made her living selling fresh tamales from a basket in downtown San Antonio. Her version was rather small, easily eaten in two big bites, with a well-spiced filling of ground beef tongue held in a shell of just enough masa mixed with a bit of lard. Steamed until they swelled tight in the hoja (corn husk) it was a convenient and sanitary street food as well as a required element in any holiday meal, even a breakfast.
My neighborhood in Chicago is mostly LatinX, so I frequently see discarded corn husks in the alley or on sidewalks. Tamales and small vendors are alive and well here.
As is his custom, the History Guy again makes history personal - we feel the desperation, the success, the failure, and the rich experience of the folks whose enterprise brought us this marvelous food. Other less able historians may tell us about the food, but here we also learn of THE PEOPLE who made it. This is what makes the History Guy the best. Bravo!
I wish you were my history teacher. I'm 33 and I still wish that. Not a single person could tell me that story you just told and keep my attention. But you do. I love history and your great man! This is great thanks 🤙
History is so much more than just rulers, wars and conquest. Yes I do appreciate those episodes, but it is stuff like this about how people lived that really fascinates me. I keep coming back for more.
Delta style tamales are called "hot tamales ". They are a big thing in my home town of New Orleans. They are still sold many gas stations and convenience stores.
@@jasondiaz8431 he packed like 10 10-packs of dogs into the bath, by the time lunch breaks and court recesses were over, he sold out. that's 100 dogs fully dressed in one hour. the guy was amazing! and good sides, too!
This is one of my favorite episodes you’ve done so far-and the poetic ending. I grew up in south Texas where they are still ubiquitous; I had no idea they were once so popular elsewhere
My "History Guy", who found you several years ago, died on 02/05. Because of him, I still enjoy watching you and Mrs. History Guy. And because of him, I still read history. Reading a book about the "Women of the Blue and Grey". Fascinating. Thanks for your videos!
If you live in Arizona and frequent Mexican supermarkets there's usually one or two people in the parking lot that offers home made tamales for sale. Yum!
Tamales are very popular where I live in California's Central Valley. While you can find them in many Mexican restaurants, most people buy them from people selling them in parking lots or door-to-door in neighborhoods. It's primarily a "cottage industry" item here. Families make large batches of them. At one Emergency Room I worked in years ago we used to get visits from the "Tamale Ladies" a couple times a month. They'd have coolers full of them. Beef, chicken, pork. . . Spicy & mild. They were awesome. I'm glad that this tradition remains strong here.
I had hoped someone would have already posted the old food weather forecast. "Chili today, but hot tamale". I can already hear the groans and I've just typed it, LOL......sorry
When I was 10 years old (circa 1960) and living in California, I thought this was hilarious. We started with, "Did you hear the Mexican weather forecast?"
I agree about the Great Historian, but I beg to differ about "proper pronunciation". Languages change. They are constantly evolving. I prefer to think that the different pronunciations of words from ancient languages are the Modern Pronunciation. My Latin teacher was adamant that the Church Latin is not correctly pronounced. Modern. And while I cannot recall more specific details (this was over half a century ago) I DO remember a number of digressions on the subject when we were reading Latin text (Caesar - sigh) aloud in class. She spoke five modern languages and at least three dead ones fluently. Stuttered in her native tongue (English) but read Chaucer flawlessly. Go figure. Still, I was fascinated by her overview of the subject of languages and adopted her perspective about evolution of spoken words.
@@AveryMilieu I have come to accept how words like "legend" or "vintage" changed meaning in the last 75 years, without a reference given in the standard dictionary, but I have less confidence in myself if I pronounce or use a foreign word incorrectly because it sounds like another, or I wrongly interpret the plural suffix or if I mistakenly add an extra vowel or use a vowel sound that doesn't exist in that country. I am very much interested in history, and I love people the world over, so it is not my wish to look ignorant, as there are many other ways I can look silly while making a first impression 😅
Perhaps you should cover the ice cream wars in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1980s. Love your videos and always look forward to a new one. Please keep up the great work and stay safe, Joe
The Glasgow Ice Cream wars will certainly change your visions of the neighborhood ice cream truck. The problem has been that we don't have any photos or media in the Public Domain. It might be a topic we eventually cover in our podcasts.
Friendswood TX has a tamale man, now second generation. I've been buying from their van since 1979. The business is simply called 'Hot Tamales Since 1976'
Growing up in a fairly large northern Oklahoma town in the 1950's I can still remember the 4 wheel horse drawn wagon parked on the NE corner of the town square every day. His fare was "popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, tamales". Spent quite a bit of money with him. His tamales rivaled those of my southern Texas raised mother. Up into the 1960's we still had vendors hawking tamales from three wheel bicycles.. Aww those truly were the good tamale days of yesteryear..
We still have a "tamale lady" that comes around every couple of weeks. You'll see her driving through the neighborhood in her old station wagon. 2 for $5.00. Sweet or savory. You can pre order larger quantities for parties. She's been coming around for decades, but ya know, I don't know her name! 🤦🏼♀️
She’s making bank. My tamal vendor sells me tamales for 10 pesos each. That’s about 50¢. Her name is Conchita. Her sister sells bolillos and pan dulce. Their kids ring my doorbell or they shout up to my window (or I hear them down on the street when they reach the corner).
It’s strange, when I was a kid I would often hear the term “it’s a hot tamale” but never knew the origins of that term, living in the southwest Mexican food is popular and tamales with it, but I never knew they ever had such popularity in the past, because they had had their day even before my time, but apparently the term hot tamale still carried some lingering cultural significance. Thanks.
The best tamales I have had in my life was at a little Roadhouse " I forget the name " just outside of Uvalde Texas. My god were they good! In fact they were so good they RUINED tamales for me. But I still try others just in case I find some that may rival those I had in Uvalde.
Dear History Guy, I was a Naval Aircrewman in the late 80's in a LAMPS Mk 1 helicopter squadron HSL-34 Greencheckers flying in the SH-2F Seasprite helicopter. Before I joined the Navy I was an avid model builder focusing on military aircraft but had never heard of the H-2. The helicopter was designed and is still manufactured in Bloomfield, Connecticut and was originally in competition with the UH-1 helicopter for the Army's primary utility helicopter. What makes the H-2 unique is that it is the only helicopter in the world (that I know of) that uses "blade flap" technology and as such is the only helicopter to not "need" a hydraulic system to function. Of course, it does utilize a hydraulic system, but if it fails, it can still safely function without it. I don't think that is true of any other helicopter system. I don't know if this is "history that deserves to be remembered" but I would like to think that it is a story that deserves to be told. So, I submit it for your consideration.
@@LordSteeleCastleClashPsteele68 ..absolutely... if you Abuela (Grandma) or Tia (aunt) couldn’t make them, well, you simply ordered them from you friend’s Abuela or Tia.😋
I have always enjoyed tamales. I order them at the Mexican restaurant, I even buy them canned, & once worked with a man at Knox County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee who made the best homemade tamales & was always kind enough to contact me for my order. Bless Lt Wilson for that. I did know that they were a far older food item than most people realize & not quite prepared as they originally were, but I was happily pleased to learn from you that they were so very popular as a street vendor item back in my grandparents' days ( my grandparents were old enough to be my parents' grandparents & my parents were old enough to actually be my grandparents).
Mr History Guy, you are amazing this is very amazing I did not know tamales got that big and popular during the heydays. God bless your research on this story.
Tamale's have bin found in Anasazi ruins in NM. I guess it is a reginal thing but here in NM, AZ, and TX sellers still go around with coolers filled with tamales and burritos to sell at work sights and other early morning and lunch locations.
tamales at Christmas are part of our tradition since moving las vegas, husband Norwegian, and I'm English. i think absorbing the traditions of all those around us makes for a welcoming sight and fragrance as neighbors drop by during holidays. so i embraced the groups around me. makes life far more pleasant no matter where you find yourself.
ya, i agree, i much rather buy a fresh tamale from a street vendor or lunch wagon that sells in the same place everyday than buy some mass produced by the millions out of a can or frozen,
This past Christmas season, for the first time, I saw two nationally known Mexican food chains offering Tamales on their menus. They weren't bad, but I have friends who make great ones. Always enjoy learning history from the History Guy.
Thank you for this in depth story on the history of tamales. Having grown up in Texas, tamales have been a part of our everyday life. During the mid-1950 we lived on a farm in central Texas. On Saturdays, dad would typically drive to the hardware store in Cleburne. Vendors sold their wares at a courtyard across the street from the hardware store. Street vendors sold tamales from carts there and we made a point of purchasing a dozen or so each time. Pork tamales are most common here.
I eat two tamales for breakfast most workdays. Usually the verde or spicy. That's because an older woman sells them on the corner of 39th street and 9th avenue here in Brooklyn. And they're delicious!!
You’re the firs person that I know that points to the misconception on the singular of this word. Thank you!. For decades it always bothered me the incorrect use of the singular for the word tamal. I always tried to explain to people the correct use of the word. But the reaction was always disinterest at best, but often open aggression to the idea that their version would be wrong. There’s similar examples for the use of plural in English as well: Church-Churches. Tamal-Tamales. If anything the plural of tamal in English should be Tamals . Building-Buildings. Cup-Cups, etc.
Robert Johnson you're now the king of the Mississippi Delta blues, now go back to town and get yourself some hot tamales You're going need some on your stomach where you going... (I hope the Lucky Yates voice comes through)
When I lived in Brooklyn in the late 90's early 2000's the Empanada Guy would come around to the bars late at night and it was the greatest thing ever. More of this please!
"Hot tamale Hot hot tamale Hot tamale Hot hot Do you like tamale? hot hot tamale? I like tamale, hot hot Hot tamale Hot hot tamale Hot tamale Hot hot Do you like tamale? Warm tamale? NO! I like hot tamale" -- Mr.Weeble 2008
I live in the San Antonio metro area. Tamales are a freaking religion here. They're a tradition for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. If you want to buy them for one of those holidays, you either have to put in your order months in advance, or get in line (for the companies that don't do pre-orders) around 2am (for places that don't open until 6am).
As a "Blue eyed" American with 3rd Gen Ca. growing up with Mexican Tamales in my blood and hood with Zero Tamale loyalty, married to a Central American, I will tell "Anyone" Listening Tamales are good! But? ANY? Central American TAMALES are GREAT! Typically use a finer grain Massa with more lard/fat, better wrapping, MUCH more Ingredients in their filling similar to a burrito, one will finish you off. Nacka Tamals are my best tested to date! I can get typical Mexican tamales in the Wal-Mart or grocery store parking lot out of the back of a Toyota lo pro mini van in La Ca any day. Just saw the "Tamale Lady" today! and they compete with each other for about $1.50 each! GoOOO! Jose Davila! You are a tamale legend! My Hat is OFF! to you!
Tamales are still cherished here in Southern California as noted by the Indio tamale festival (I think there’s one in Atascadero as well) and the difficulty getting tamales at Christmastime when just about everyone is ordering. They are the perfect snack food and make a great entree too!
The tamales shown at the beginning are what my Mom's tamales looked like. About the size of a fist and tied at both ends. She would make the meat sauce a few days ahead of the making of tamales. Being refrigerated it gave the sauce time to congeal so that the tamales were stuffed and generous with the sauce and meat. Mom also added baking powder to her masa and her cooked masa was almost cake like.
l have been to 7 big chain food stores.....Looking for caned TAMALES...An none of them have them...l am in my 80's now and l can remember what we called the hot Tamale man...He had a cart full of then steaming hot still in the corn shucks...He was an old man back in the 1950's....All gone now....Thanks THG...Excellent as usual...!
My family in el Salvador made 7 different tamales We have" Tamales pisques" they are made of black corn masa and refried red beans and dry Chile (Chipotle pepper)
You know, Mr. History Guy, until I saw this whimsical little video, I hadn't eaten or thought about a tamale for years; not sure why. I used to love them.
I noticed in one of the newspaper articles (at 10:16) that in the factories, "White men and women are employed the year around" to produce tamales... thus openly expressing the racism of the day and disparaging of the traditional (and still the best) Mexican tamale makers. In my original home of Santa Rosa, California, street vendors are still seen selling the fattest, best-tasting tamales at a reasonable price... far better than most restaurants, let alone the canned variety.
I noticed that in the article too. In many ways, those were *not* the Good Olde Days. And we still have some distance to go today in the 21st century too.
BFD - society evolves. Today straight white males are the ones whose abilities are secondary to the demands of the 'social justice' quota system, as seen in the dramatic disintegration of a functional community.
We still have a lot of vendors in chicago, usually you'll see them wandering through bars that don't have a food license late at night (well not right now, but pre-COVID). There were even some light turf scuffles at bars late at night
Most people who make tamales don't make them well. Most are dry, heavy as a rock, sauceless, gross, fatty, bad sauce, unmarinated meat, etc. The masa should be light and fluffy and taste so good that it's delicious alone not hard like a rock and bad tasting. The meat should be cleaned so there's zero fat hanging off of it. Nothing makes me want to hurl like a mouthful of fat instead of meat inside my tamale. The sauce should be made a day ahead to marinate your meat. It's hard to find an edible tamale these days. Everyone is in a race to make them badly or just don't know what a good tamale is. It's like they're opening a box of instant mac n cheese and calling it real mac n cheese. They're bad bad cooks.
If you live in Southern California, they are easy to find at small Mexican restaurants or even "fast foods". I know more than a half dozen in San Diego.
In my home town of Santa Rosa, California, street vendors still sell hot tamales and other specialties from push-carts. Very reasonable prices, very fat, with pollo or puerco. They are far tastier than anything sold at restaurants. I don't consider the paper-wrapped canned variety to be food.
@@nedludd7622 In San Diego, just chill around sherman or logan around dusk and listen for the screaming lady, You will definitely hear her before you spot her van.
I live outside Chicago, the most outer suburbs, and they have tamales on every Chicago-style hot dog place in the area, grocery stores like Jewel or Piggly Wiggly have fresh ones made daily. You can go into the local area seller groups on FB and people sell handmade tamales, it was always sort of a random phenomenon I thought. Portillos has tamales on the menu. Even the Greek take-out restaurants serve tamales. I kind of chalked it up to different cities have different dishes scenario playing out. I guess it all makes sense now. Like Italian beef, hot dogs, and Chicago-style pizza, I am grateful for the amazing food of the city and for the tamale. I have conquered many in my life and will devour many more in the future.
Thank you for this history snippet!! My grandmother and her kids used to make tamales and tortillas for the Mecca in Pittsburg, California. Your videos have been such an enjoyment throughout the pandemic, I am truly a fan!
My Dad once told of his introduction to tamales. Dad was born in 1905 in Burnet County, Texas. In his pre-teen years he and his father moved the 40 or so miles to Austin. Once in Austin he noticed a street-vendor walking the downtown streets with his tin pail of tamales. He said until then he had never heard of tamales. Once he purchased one he was a fan of tamales. Later he advised that those tamales were particularly "greasy" but oh so tasty!
I will never take my mother's tamales for granted, she is close to 80 and still makes them by hand. Gracias a Dios!
For goodness sake get her recipe and have her show you how to make them.
@@BELCAN57 amen sir!!!. My momma taught me how to cook n clean out of necessity (she had horrific arthritis in her hands and could barely use her hands without pain). There are a few recipes she never wrote down that I can't duplicate it drives me nuts.
And after she shows you, feel free to pass it on!
Harry;
You are a fortunate man to have home-made tamales.
@@erictroxell715
Don't give up! Are there any friends or relatives of hers that are still here? You might be able to get some clue or another.
I got that missing something-something from a then-neighbor about one of my mom's recipes. I tracked her down and called and she told me, "Oh, everyone on our street put a tiny bit of freshly-ground nutmeg in spaghetti sauce back then! It was the thing to do!" Sure enough, adding that ingredient in brought back a taste memory of my mom's spaghetti sauce from the 1970s. Plus, it was fun chatting with this now older lady from way back.
So if there's anyone you might could still talk to, maybe think about asking that person. You never know!
I'm 66 and have seen many things that were once ubiquitous vanish. The milkman delivering milk to your doorstep. Bakery trucks driving through the neighborhood selling breads and pastries. More recently, phone booths and pay phones have all but disappeared.
On the other hand, some things which were rare or unheard of have now become commonplace. When I was a kid, almost all stores were closed by 9 p.m. And many stores were closed on Sundays. The first convenience stores I saw were 7/11s, which got their name by the fact that they were open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. Nowadays most supermarkets are open 'til 11, and convenience stores are open 24 hours a day.
Not only were many stores closed on Sundays, I know of small towns in Georgia (Clayton being one) where up through the late '70s, most (if not all) of the stores would close around 2 p.m. on Wednesdays.
@@ShawnD1027 That is interesting. I wonder why stores closed for the day at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Could it be for mid-week Bible study classes? That's the only thing I can think of. (related to this topic)
@@scottkoenig6326 From the UK and yep many stores had 1/2 day closing in the week and then opened 1/2 day Saturday that way the staff hours were for 5 days. Banks opened at 09.00 and closed at 15.00 and weekdays only.
@@scottkoenig6326 They were closed half a day on Wednesday so they could open all day Saturday. Saturday was the day most farmers would come in to town. Also most stores in the south didn't open on Sunday because they were not allowed to. They were called Sunday Blue Laws.
@@scottkoenig6326, I really doubt Bible study was the reason (and, no, I'm not oblivious to Bible-Thumpers). It's far more likely because of the reasons @IMBlakely and @Pete Brian said.
For all the veterans of this forgotten conflict, I would like to say thank you all for your service.
Thank you and can I get a couple of more napkins please.
Tamale street vendors are still quite active in parts of NYC. In my neighborhood in West Harlem, for years (up until everything shut down last year for COVID), the end of my evening commute would be punctuated by a song of "Tamales-tamales!" from a lovely local woman selling (presumably) home-made tamales near the top of the subway stairs, the tamales kept warm in an insulated cooler and sold for a few dollars each. I only bought the snacks from her once or twice but they were quite good. I came to look forward to that call for "Tamales-tamales!" as a comforting reminder that I'd made it home after a long day in the office downtown. I truly hope she's holding out okay during the pandemic, and that she returns to be a recognizable feature of the neighborhood once things regain some semblance of normalcy here...
"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." - Andrew Bernard
I’ve actually said that to a couple kids! “You know, to you THIS will be ‘the good ol’ days’!”
Right now!
@@johnwright6139 You got that right...
I grew up in California in the 60's and remember Tamales being sold by street vendors pushing carts then using hot truck. Personally my fondest memories was grabing a quick lunch from a tamales vendor outside of school i loved them. Thank you for this wonderful look back in to the History of the Tamales
I used to stop at a roadside taco stand coming home from school in So. CA.
There are at least a couple tamal vendors who go through my Long Beach, California, neighborhood weekly, one a man with a pushcart and one a woman in an SUV who sells them out of the trunk.
I can hear the sing-song from down the street in my mind's ear: "Taaaaa-ma-les! Queeeeee-so, poooo-llo, de caaaar-ne!"
Wow... the memories you bring back. Nothing better than street tamales and street tacos in SoCal!
It was still common even back in 2005-2013 and most likely even before then and most likely still now, even as far out as San Bernardino or Riverside/Lake Elsinore there were still tamale ladies that came and sold tamales.
I left the US in 2017 and moved to Australia and I really miss Mexican food so much.
Whenever I would get tamales as a gift I would be so happy and appreciative because of all the hard work that goes into making them that makes the gift so special..........
As the Doctor once said, “we’re all stories, in the end. Make sure yours is a good one.”
Not.
what about this one from an entertainer who said always leave them wanting more.
Nothing so delicious as a tasty story!
Dr. Johnson?
@@VyvienneEaux , Doctor Who; but you probably already knew that.
In Houston they never went away. I can still get tamales from a little abuelita selling them on the street in the right parts of town. There's nothing better.
Every time I work down in the Rio Grande Valley I always bring some Tamales back with me. I work all over and I’d say they have the best. Houston are is a strong number two though
@@laidbackeasttexan I agree I lived in the RGV and Mexico and the denizens of the RGV really love tamales.
They can give the neighbors next door a run for their money. Better than Monterrey's in my opinion.
Mexico City tamales are supergood and have an amazing variety of flavors and colors (yes colors, and not from vegetable coloring, they use fruit juice or rose water to color sweet tamales).
And in Merida next to a famous bakery in Paseo Montejo by the Monument to the Flag rotunda called Panaderia Montejo there was an enclave of older Mayan ladies chatting in Yucatec Mayan as they sold you banana leaf tamales.
Tamales, blackeye peas and cornbread on new year's.
@@roverworld7218 I’d love to try some. Unfortunately due to the “climate” in Mexico my company doesn’t send us south of the border anymore. The RGV or EP is as close as I’ve gotten in years. Had a grandmother and aunts that retired down in the RGV as a kid. Crossing the border was a daily treat when we visited. Miss those days
Same in California, especially around Christmas the vendors are all over.
I love this episode! I was born and raised in Arizona, and I still live here. My grandmother and mother would make tamales every Christmas. My mother-in-law shared the same tradition. I make tamales every once in awhile. My oldest son , now in his 30's make them as well. He makes them better than all us old women. You could say he's a modern millennial tamale man.
Even in pandemic times, we Texans will buy tamales from a "tamale lady" without batting an eye❤️❤️
Yet so yummy. tacos and burritos
And then Texans assume the tamalera is here illegally and call ICE. And the dude who brought my surname here came to the modern US in the 1760s (other branches even earlier) so don't tell me to swim back where I came from unless you want to go first.
My dad as a child sold hot tamale for a lady in his neighborhood who made them in her kitchen. Many times dad was paid with tamales which was sometimes the only meal the family had on that day. Depression era time frame in indianapolis.
Thank you for your history lessons
I grew up eating Hormel canned Beef Tamales, then in my late teens I had some at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I was like "so THATS what they are suppose to taste like!" I never went back to the Hormel ones.
I never would have known they sell canned tamales if you hadn't mentioned it. It's kinda hard to imagine to be honest
Those Hormel jobs are based on Louisiana hot tamales, not on Mexican tamales. LA hot tamales use plain cornmeal not masa, and they are simmered in spicy broth not steamed, they came from a migrant recipe adaptation in upper LA and lower AR, maybe some of MS.(They didn't have a convenient source of masa.) Still, canned are not as good.
@@mawlinzebra I used to eat them all the time. They fit in my budget, and I didn't know any better.
@@juresichj I don’t hate canned tamales. I wouldn’t eat them if fresh tamales were available (luckily they are abundant where I live), but if there was no other way to get tamales . . .
@@mytech6779 I’m curious as to where the LA tamales originated. Was this a later local modification of tamales from further south, or an original indigenous variety?
My mom used to make fresh tamales to sell at work and she'd sell out in seconds.
There is a old couple down the road from me who sells fresh n hot tamales in a parking lot. Have been for almost 20 years now. They are so good.
I used to drive half an hour to buy tamales from a man selling them from a giant pot set in the trunk of his car. He would set up shop in the corner of a gas station parking lot, and ask if you wanted "juice". They were wonderful. Thanks for sparking that memory.
Fascinating story, but have to say the "Americanized" tamale still can't hold a candle to those still served by street vendors in Mexico or even as far south as Panama. A food that has been a staple for centuries. Have discovered so many variations in my travels, it's fascinating in it's own right, from corn husks to banana leaves, from goat to conch. And I love them all.
I learned a tamale recipe from my fellow student teacher Jesus de la Garza, who had just married an Angla and so the couple was learning la cocina Mexicana/the family recipes from his mom. My partner and I got to learn from them. His grandmother had been a young refugee during the tumult of the Mexican Revolution and fled to San Antonio where she made her living selling fresh tamales from a basket in downtown San Antonio. Her version was rather small, easily eaten in two big bites, with a well-spiced filling of ground beef tongue held in a shell of just enough masa mixed with a bit of lard. Steamed until they swelled tight in the hoja (corn husk) it was a convenient and sanitary street food as well as a required element in any holiday meal, even a breakfast.
My neighborhood in Chicago is mostly LatinX, so I frequently see discarded corn husks in the alley or on sidewalks. Tamales and small vendors are alive and well here.
1:10 Similarly, Americans say "perogies" when they want more than one, however, in Polish, "periogi" is already plural. "Pierog" is the singular form.
As is his custom, the History Guy again makes history personal - we feel the desperation, the success, the failure, and the rich experience of the folks whose enterprise brought us this marvelous food. Other less able historians may tell us about the food, but here we also learn of THE PEOPLE who made it. This is what makes the History Guy the best. Bravo!
I suddenly got a craving for a tamale.
I wish you were my history teacher. I'm 33 and I still wish that. Not a single person could tell me that story you just told and keep my attention. But you do. I love history and your great man! This is great thanks 🤙
It's 7:30 Am.
And now I want some damn tamales.
With a cup of hot champurrado. There's no better breakfast on a cold morning
History is so much more than just rulers, wars and conquest. Yes I do appreciate those episodes, but it is stuff like this about how people lived that really fascinates me. I keep coming back for more.
Delta style tamales are called "hot tamales ". They are a big thing in my home town of New Orleans. They are still sold many gas stations and convenience stores.
yup. the hot dog carts are gone, here. the one in front the courts building was a vital resource. covid has wrecked a lot of vendors.
Nothing like a good old dirty water dog.
@@jasondiaz8431 he packed like 10 10-packs of dogs into the bath, by the time lunch breaks and court recesses were over, he sold out. that's 100 dogs fully dressed in one hour. the guy was amazing! and good sides, too!
Not just Covid. A lot of cities' local zoning regulations don't allow mobile restaurants anywhere.
Anybody remember those candies called Hot Tamales? Made by the same people that made Mike and Ikes and Jolly Joe's.
You can find them in CVS in the candy aisle sometimes.
Had some last night
@Night Rider yup they still make them along with Mike and Ike.
They're an addiction I try to stay away from. 😁
Ferrara Pan Candy in Chicago has been making them since 1950.
Christmas tamales were a staple in my house, growing up. You can still find corner sellers around the holidays in Fort Worth.
I once made tamales from scratch. Now I know why Abuela, Madre, Hija, Tia and Sobrinas get together to make them. Many hands make light work.
Bisbee AZ! Love hearing my hometown in videos.
This is one of my favorite episodes you’ve done so far-and the poetic ending. I grew up in south Texas where they are still ubiquitous; I had no idea they were once so popular elsewhere
My "History Guy", who found you several years ago, died on 02/05. Because of him, I still enjoy watching you and Mrs. History Guy. And because of him, I still read history. Reading a book about the "Women of the Blue and Grey". Fascinating. Thanks for your videos!
If you live in Arizona and frequent Mexican supermarkets there's usually one or two people in the parking lot that offers home made tamales for sale. Yum!
Used to be tamale and burrito vendors walking up and down the beach in Puerto Peñasco/"Rocky Point" Sonora, too! Delicious, filling, cheap! 😎🍻
Oh yeah, check any IGA or Food City. The worse the neighborhood the better the tamales!
true!
In good weather, there is one who sits on the edge of my Trader Joes driveway in Portland OR.
Don’t forget the atole! Try the traditional Mexican flavor of cookies-n-cream. 😆
Tamales are very popular where I live in California's Central Valley. While you can find them in many Mexican restaurants, most people buy them from people selling them in parking lots or door-to-door in neighborhoods. It's primarily a "cottage industry" item here. Families make large batches of them. At one Emergency Room I worked in years ago we used to get visits from the "Tamale Ladies" a couple times a month. They'd have coolers full of them. Beef, chicken, pork. . . Spicy & mild. They were awesome. I'm glad that this tradition remains strong here.
I had hoped someone would have already posted the old food weather forecast. "Chili today, but hot tamale". I can already hear the groans and I've just typed it, LOL......sorry
No groans, that's a good ole one! 🙂👍
Fitting for this video, well done!
-6F here in Milwaukee today, but going to 35 tomorrow.
When I was 10 years old (circa 1960) and living in California, I thought this was hilarious. We started with, "Did you hear the Mexican weather forecast?"
Now that is a good one
As a child in the '70's, I remember reading a book called, "The Push Cart War". I wonder if the various Tamale wars inspired it?
Great book
Street vendor wars are numerous in history and international in scope.. seems every city and nation had its "cart war" at some point
You are a great historian. I have learned the proper pronunciation of "tamal" as well as "Tarawa" from you. Thank you.
I agree about the Great Historian, but I beg to differ about "proper pronunciation". Languages change. They are constantly evolving. I prefer to think that the different pronunciations of words from ancient languages are the Modern Pronunciation. My Latin teacher was adamant that the Church Latin is not correctly pronounced. Modern. And while I cannot recall more specific details (this was over half a century ago) I DO remember a number of digressions on the subject when we were reading Latin text (Caesar - sigh) aloud in class. She spoke five modern languages and at least three dead ones fluently. Stuttered in her native tongue (English) but read Chaucer flawlessly. Go figure. Still, I was fascinated by her overview of the subject of languages and adopted her perspective about evolution of spoken words.
@@AveryMilieu I have come to accept how words like "legend" or "vintage" changed meaning in the last 75 years, without a reference given in the standard dictionary, but I have less confidence in myself if I pronounce or use a foreign word incorrectly because it sounds like another, or I wrongly interpret the plural suffix or if I mistakenly add an extra vowel or use a vowel sound that doesn't exist in that country. I am very much interested in history, and I love people the world over, so it is not my wish to look ignorant, as there are many other ways I can look silly while making a first impression 😅
@@AveryMilieu Be that as it may, tamales is plural, tamal is singular.
Who are these sad, joyless people who give a thumbs down on a subject so neutral but suddenly interesting as Tamales!?
Perhaps you should cover the ice cream wars in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1980s.
Love your videos and always look forward to a new one. Please keep up the great work and stay safe,
Joe
The Glasgow Ice Cream wars will certainly change your visions of the neighborhood ice cream truck. The problem has been that we don't have any photos or media in the Public Domain. It might be a topic we eventually cover in our podcasts.
Friendswood TX has a tamale man, now second generation. I've been buying from their van since 1979. The business is simply called 'Hot Tamales Since 1976'
Buying a canned Tamale is like buying a canned Wedding Cake.
I remember coming across a tinned chicken, It was disgusting
Or a canned hamburger
I almost spit out my drink laughing at this.
I can't think of a faster way to poison a dog than a nasty canned tamale.
Thank you for a genuine LOL.
Growing up in a fairly large northern Oklahoma town in the 1950's I can still remember the 4 wheel horse drawn wagon parked on the NE corner of the town square every day. His fare was "popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, tamales". Spent quite a bit of money with him. His tamales rivaled those of my southern Texas raised mother. Up into the 1960's we still had vendors hawking tamales from three wheel bicycles.. Aww those truly were the good tamale days of yesteryear..
We still have a "tamale lady" that comes around every couple of weeks. You'll see her driving through the neighborhood in her old station wagon. 2 for $5.00. Sweet or savory. You can pre order larger quantities for parties. She's been coming around for decades, but ya know, I don't know her name! 🤦🏼♀️
She’s making bank. My tamal vendor sells me tamales for 10 pesos each. That’s about 50¢. Her name is Conchita. Her sister sells bolillos and pan dulce. Their kids ring my doorbell or they shout up to my window (or I hear them down on the street when they reach the corner).
2 for $5?? That’s highway robbery. We get them here for $6/dozen, or 2 dozen for $10. Any kind you want, and they come door to door.
It’s strange, when I was a kid I would often hear the term “it’s a hot tamale” but never knew the origins of that term, living in the southwest Mexican food is popular and tamales with it, but I never knew they ever had such popularity in the past, because they had had their day even before my time, but apparently the term hot tamale still carried some lingering cultural significance. Thanks.
The best tamales I have had in my life was at a little Roadhouse " I forget the name " just outside of Uvalde Texas. My god were they good! In fact they were so good they RUINED tamales for me. But I still try others just in case I find some that may rival those I had in Uvalde.
Dear History Guy, I was a Naval Aircrewman in the late 80's in a LAMPS Mk 1 helicopter squadron HSL-34 Greencheckers flying in the SH-2F Seasprite helicopter. Before I joined the Navy I was an avid model builder focusing on military aircraft but had never heard of the H-2. The helicopter was designed and is still manufactured in Bloomfield, Connecticut and was originally in competition with the UH-1 helicopter for the Army's primary utility helicopter. What makes the H-2 unique is that it is the only helicopter in the world (that I know of) that uses "blade flap" technology and as such is the only helicopter to not "need" a hydraulic system to function. Of course, it does utilize a hydraulic system, but if it fails, it can still safely function without it. I don't think that is true of any other helicopter system. I don't know if this is "history that deserves to be remembered" but I would like to think that it is a story that deserves to be told. So, I submit it for your consideration.
There are worse things to fight over. Edit: the best tamales I've ever had came out of someone's trunk.
Ha ha same here
Oh Yeah! Same for me too.
As a history buff who watches a lot of documentaries I love this channel. Thank you for the hard work in putting these videos together.
Tamales is a huge tradition at Christmas, I’m sure that at least 80% of Hispanics are eating tamales while opening presents .
I'd say closer to 90-95%
This Irish family too. Every Christmas!
Tamales were on the Christmas menu for my Anglo family in Sothern California.
Hay, at least your guaranteed to unwrap at least something during Christmas. 😁
@@LordSteeleCastleClashPsteele68 ..absolutely... if you Abuela (Grandma) or Tia (aunt) couldn’t make them, well, you simply ordered them from you friend’s Abuela or Tia.😋
I have always enjoyed tamales. I order them at the Mexican restaurant, I even buy them canned, & once worked with a man at Knox County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee who made the best homemade tamales & was always kind enough to contact me for my order. Bless Lt Wilson for that. I did know that they were a far older food item than most people realize & not quite prepared as they originally were, but I was happily pleased to learn from you that they were so very popular as a street vendor item back in my grandparents' days ( my grandparents were old enough to be my parents' grandparents & my parents were old enough to actually be my grandparents).
Mr History Guy, you are amazing this is very amazing I did not know tamales got that big and popular during the heydays. God bless your research on this story.
Tamale's have bin found in Anasazi ruins in NM. I guess it is a reginal thing but here in NM, AZ, and TX sellers still go around with coolers filled with tamales and burritos to sell at work sights and other early morning and lunch locations.
Love all your posts!
tamales at Christmas are part of our tradition since moving las vegas, husband Norwegian, and I'm English. i think absorbing the traditions of all those around us makes for a welcoming sight and fragrance as neighbors drop by during holidays. so i embraced the groups around me. makes life far more pleasant no matter where you find yourself.
Tamales in cans taste like disappointment.
Can tamales tastes like you're not getting a present again this year.
And now they're selling them in vaccum sealed bags
They taste like Betrayal!
ya, i agree, i much rather buy a fresh tamale from a street vendor or lunch wagon that sells in the same place everyday than buy some mass produced by the millions out of a can or frozen,
That you get the one in the glass jar
This past Christmas season, for the first time, I saw two nationally known Mexican food chains offering Tamales on their menus. They weren't bad, but I have friends who make great ones.
Always enjoy learning history from the History Guy.
A good tamale is a treasure.
Thank you for this in depth story on the history of tamales. Having grown up in Texas, tamales have been a part of our everyday life. During the mid-1950 we lived on a farm in central Texas. On Saturdays, dad would typically drive to the hardware store in Cleburne. Vendors sold their wares at a courtyard across the street from the hardware store. Street vendors sold tamales from carts there and we made a point of purchasing a dozen or so each time. Pork tamales are most common here.
I eat two tamales for breakfast most workdays.
Usually the verde or spicy.
That's because an older woman sells them on the corner of 39th street and 9th avenue here in Brooklyn.
And they're delicious!!
How much??
@@godsfavoriteblister852 Two dollars a piece.
@@peterbrennan3007 that's awesome! I woulda thought NY would be astronomical. Thanks
@@godsfavoriteblister852 I guess because she's got no overhead other than the ingredients and time.
Thank you THG. Always an interesting journey.💜
When I lived in Houston, my neighbor brought over tamales. I've yet to taste any better than hers.
i miss jims tamales in Kansas city mo the guy pushing his cart ringing the bell man were thy good!!!
Thanks!
Thank you!
I was working a site in Detroit with a nearby Tamale vendor and was bummed when we finished the job. Could get a plastic grocery bag full for $10
You’re the firs person that I know that points to the misconception on the singular of this word. Thank you!. For decades it always bothered me the incorrect use of the singular for the word tamal. I always tried to explain to people the correct use of the word. But the reaction was always disinterest at best, but often open aggression to the idea that their version would be wrong. There’s similar examples for the use of plural in English as well: Church-Churches. Tamal-Tamales. If anything the plural of tamal in English should be Tamals . Building-Buildings. Cup-Cups, etc.
Robert Johnson you're now the king of the Mississippi Delta blues, now go back to town and get yourself some hot tamales You're going need some on your stomach where you going... (I hope the Lucky Yates voice comes through)
I'm from New Mexico, they are staple here especially in Christmas
Man I wish they'd bring back tamale stands.
When I lived in Brooklyn in the late 90's early 2000's the Empanada Guy would come around to the bars late at night and it was the greatest thing ever. More of this please!
I'm not proud to say I eat pork tamales by the dozen, but my shame won't stop me.
I remember seeing the XLNT brand in stores as a kid. Couldn’t find any where I live now, I googled it and learned they are only sold in CA, NV & AZ
Single: Tamal
Plural: Tamales
American form: Tamale
*the history of the more unique and more obscure movie serials would be appreciated as many were remarkably creative and inspired later movies*
"Hot tamale
Hot hot tamale
Hot tamale
Hot hot
Do you like tamale?
hot hot tamale?
I like tamale, hot hot
Hot tamale
Hot hot tamale
Hot tamale
Hot hot
Do you like tamale?
Warm tamale?
NO! I like hot tamale"
--
Mr.Weeble 2008
Well written, well told. I found myself chuckling throughout the delivery.
I live in the San Antonio metro area. Tamales are a freaking religion here. They're a tradition for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. If you want to buy them for one of those holidays, you either have to put in your order months in advance, or get in line (for the companies that don't do pre-orders) around 2am (for places that don't open until 6am).
I would love a historical breakdown on the knish.
🤩🤩🤩💯
And mustard.. 🤔
What's a knish? They didn't have them in LA.
Love how you tell history. Thank you for reminding us of so many different things
How dare you saying there are too many hotdog variations
Dang it, now I want hot dogs
You have to admit, though, that hot dogs with whipped cream is just a tad excessive....
I suddenly find myself wondering how a tamale with a hot dog as the filling would taste @@recurvestickerdragon .
As a "Blue eyed" American with 3rd Gen Ca. growing up with Mexican Tamales in my blood and hood with Zero Tamale loyalty, married to a Central American, I will tell "Anyone" Listening Tamales are good! But? ANY? Central American TAMALES are GREAT! Typically use a finer grain Massa with more lard/fat, better wrapping, MUCH more Ingredients in their filling similar to a burrito, one will finish you off. Nacka Tamals are my best tested to date!
I can get typical Mexican tamales in the Wal-Mart or grocery store parking lot out of the back of a Toyota lo pro mini van in La Ca any day. Just saw the "Tamale Lady" today! and they compete with each other for about $1.50 each!
GoOOO! Jose Davila! You are a tamale legend! My Hat is OFF! to you!
Porky pig used to sell them
"Hot tamales, hot tamales
See'em boiling in the pot.
Hot tamales , hot tamales
Get'em while they're good and hot"
Tamales are still cherished here in Southern California as noted by the Indio tamale festival (I think there’s one in Atascadero as well) and the difficulty getting tamales at Christmastime when just about everyone is ordering. They are the perfect snack food and make a great entree too!
That Tamale in the sky were all just a slice of pie!
The tamales shown at the beginning are what my Mom's tamales looked like. About the size of a fist and tied at both ends. She would make the meat sauce a few days ahead of the making of tamales. Being refrigerated it gave the sauce time to congeal so that the tamales were stuffed and generous with the sauce and meat. Mom also added baking powder to her masa and her cooked masa was almost cake like.
I've actually never heard about tamales, but now I'm eager to try one!
Had some fresh ones for breakfast and dinner yesterday.... lol
If you can’t find a good Mexican restaurant, you can find frozen ones at Trader Joe’s. (Blasphemy I know)
The best ones I’ve ever eaten were in the middle of nowhere west Texas...goat tamales on Christmas Day. 🥟
@@godsfavoriteblister852
What's the point of your "lol" on the end of your comment?
@@lisahinton9682 Tamales make me happy and I laugh when I'm happy....
are you ok with that....?
l have been to 7 big chain food stores.....Looking for caned TAMALES...An none of them have them...l am in my 80's now and l can remember what we called the hot Tamale man...He had a cart full of then steaming hot still in the corn shucks...He was an old man back in the 1950's....All gone now....Thanks THG...Excellent as usual...!
This makes me want a real tamale.
My family in el Salvador made 7 different tamales
We have" Tamales pisques" they are made of black corn masa and refried red beans and dry Chile (Chipotle pepper)
I love tamales from Texas and Mexico!
You know, Mr. History Guy, until I saw this whimsical little video, I hadn't eaten or thought about a tamale for years; not sure why. I used to love them.
I noticed in one of the newspaper articles (at 10:16) that in the factories, "White men and women are employed the year around" to produce tamales... thus openly expressing the racism of the day and disparaging of the traditional (and still the best) Mexican tamale makers. In my original home of Santa Rosa, California, street vendors are still seen selling the fattest, best-tasting tamales at a reasonable price... far better than most restaurants, let alone the canned variety.
I noticed that in the article too. In many ways, those were *not* the Good Olde Days. And we still have some distance to go today in the 21st century too.
BFD - society evolves. Today straight white males are the ones whose abilities are secondary to the demands of the 'social justice' quota system, as seen in the dramatic disintegration of a functional community.
Racisim was not even a word then,now it is an over used term !
We still have a lot of vendors in chicago, usually you'll see them wandering through bars that don't have a food license late at night (well not right now, but pre-COVID). There were even some light turf scuffles at bars late at night
Most people who make tamales don't make them well. Most are dry, heavy as a rock, sauceless, gross, fatty, bad sauce, unmarinated meat, etc. The masa should be light and fluffy and taste so good that it's delicious alone not hard like a rock and bad tasting. The meat should be cleaned so there's zero fat hanging off of it. Nothing makes me want to hurl like a mouthful of fat instead of meat inside my tamale. The sauce should be made a day ahead to marinate your meat. It's hard to find an edible tamale these days. Everyone is in a race to make them badly or just don't know what a good tamale is. It's like they're opening a box of instant mac n cheese and calling it real mac n cheese. They're bad bad cooks.
If you live in Southern California, they are easy to find at small Mexican restaurants or even "fast foods". I know more than a half dozen in San Diego.
In my home town of Santa Rosa, California, street vendors still sell hot tamales and other specialties from push-carts. Very reasonable prices, very fat, with pollo or puerco. They are far tastier than anything sold at restaurants. I don't consider the paper-wrapped canned variety to be food.
the immortal Tamale Lady of San Francisco will fix you up
@@nedludd7622 In San Diego, just chill around sherman or logan around dusk and listen for the screaming lady, You will definitely hear her before you spot her van.
@@privateemail9755 I know Logan, but not Sherman. We would go to a restaurant on Imperial I think.
I live outside Chicago, the most outer suburbs, and they have tamales on every Chicago-style hot dog place in the area, grocery stores like Jewel or Piggly Wiggly have fresh ones made daily. You can go into the local area seller groups on FB and people sell handmade tamales, it was always sort of a random phenomenon I thought. Portillos has tamales on the menu. Even the Greek take-out restaurants serve tamales. I kind of chalked it up to different cities have different dishes scenario playing out. I guess it all makes sense now. Like Italian beef, hot dogs, and Chicago-style pizza, I am grateful for the amazing food of the city and for the tamale. I have conquered many in my life and will devour many more in the future.
That’s a pretty obscure Red Hot Chili Peppers song. Nice reference.
Thank you for this history snippet!! My grandmother and her kids used to make tamales and tortillas for the Mecca in Pittsburg, California. Your videos have been such an enjoyment throughout the pandemic, I am truly a fan!
Nothing lasts forever. Just like the pay telephone, slot car track emporiums, drive ins, and rooftop antennas.
Drive ins made a Covid comeback.
there is still a slot car track club in my town. tho there is like 5 ppl in it lol. i walk past them sometimes
My Dad once told of his introduction to tamales. Dad was born in 1905 in Burnet County, Texas. In his pre-teen years he and his father moved the 40 or so miles to Austin. Once in Austin he noticed a street-vendor walking the downtown streets with his tin pail of tamales. He said until then he had never heard of tamales. Once he purchased one he was a fan of tamales. Later he advised that those tamales were particularly "greasy" but oh so tasty!
My grandparents said at the turn of century the stray cat population would vary according to tamale time in phoenix
Which century?
If you noticed, there was a news story in the episode that suggested that chicken tamales in San Francisco were being made with seagulls.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel finally sea gulls are good for something....other than dive-bombing us, LOL
@@wintonhudelson2252 "squab" 😉😉😉. (Arrgh, autocorrect!)
Ugh... Now I have to decide whether to show this thread to Jim. Seagulls used to attack him during lunch when he lived in Ventura county CA
Wow, you even mentioned the Robert Johnson song; I'm impressed! I had expected to be able to hit you with a "gotcha" moment!!
Tamale's still dominate here in L.A