Tamales

Every now and then, I would crave for a local delicacy called “tamales”. I am lucky because I can always find one in a place near my home–at Little Quiapo, along Malakas St., Pinyahan, QC. The “tamales” is not actually sold at Little Quiapo. It is sold by a vendor from Pampanga who has been given a space near the restaurant’s entrance to sell his local delicacies. The vendor sells tamales in 2 varieties, the regular one for P40, the special at P55.

Tamales is already rare, I once found a store in Tiendesitas which sells it. A few times also, I was able to buy one from a church vendor, but this is the very ordinary type.

From Wikipedia:

Ang tamales ay isang pagkaing Pilipino na halaw sa impluwensiya ng mga Mehikano. Karaniwang kinasasangkapan ang pagluluto nito ang pulbos o harinang bigas, itlog, at kulay-tsokolateng asukal. Madikit ang kaning-bigas na ito na hinaluan ng maraming panimpla at sinahugan din ng karne ng baboy, manok at nilagang itlog. Karaniwan itong pinauusukan para maluto habang nakabalot sa mga dahon ng saging.

Translation (mine): Tamales is a Filipino food influenced by Mexicans. It normally comprises powdered sticky rice, eggs, and chocolate-colored sugar. The sticky rice is mixed with a lot of other ingredients like shredded chicken, pork and boiled eggs. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to cook.

My feeling is that there is a certain flavor or spice that gives it a tangy smell, and makes it taste spicy, also a dash of salt to make it salty. From further readings I found out that this steamed delicacy is made with a mixture of ground white and brown (toasted) rice, ground peanuts and coconut milk topped with strips of chicken, chorizo and slices of harboiled eggs. I guess this is the better description of the tamales rather than the one provided by Wikipedia.

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