Tamales and their History in Latin America

In Mexico, they are wrapped in corn leaves known as totomoxtle or banana leaves, and can be filled with mole, pork, chicken... but tamales are not endemic to this country; they are found throughout Latin America and are also eaten in Honduras, Belize, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and other countries.Tamal, humita, nacatamales, chamos, pamoña or pache are some of the names for the preparation of dough and filling wrapped in corn, banana, canak, aluminum, or even plastic leaves, typically steamed, depending on the place where they are made.In many cases, the starting point for tamales is corn, whose consumption since pre-Hispanic times has been essential in Latin America, and according to historian Humberto Rodríguez Pastor, the closest pre-Hispanic example to the current tamale preparation processes are Peruvian humitas.These early preparations related to Peruvian humitas included corn but no filling, and this is where the arrival of the Spanish, as in many other areas, contributed their bit, which in this case took the form of lard and pork.In Mexico, the history is different, as tamales have been found archaeologically related to the daily life of some cultures and were present in religious rituals, offerings, and tombs, in addition to already having a filling such as turkey, frog, axolotl, rabbit, fruits, or beans, and they did not use fat to make them. They were so common that they are even mentioned in the Dresden Codex, a Maya book from the 11th or 12th century.What are tamales called in Latin America?The name tamal is quite widespread and, apart from Mexico, is used in Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. In Venezuela, there are hallacas (also called hayaca), which are specifically prepared for Christmas and made with corn flour, chicken broth, and can be filled with different meats, such as pork, beef, or hen.The bollo is from Belize, wrapped in banana leaves, and its ingredients include chicken, onion, cilantro, and achiote, while in Puerto Rico, they are known as guanime, a type of sweet tamale made with coconut milk, sugar, and corn flour, also wrapped in banana leaves.Bolivia and Peru share the name but differentiate between tender corn, calling them humitas, and corn, using the name tamales. The nacatamales from Nicaragua also differ from those called tamales there because they contain meat.Mexico has a wide variety of tamales with different names: canarios, uchepos, chanchamitos, pibipollos, corundas, vaporcitos, xocos… the varieties by region are abundant and can be both sweet and savory.Knowing about tamales is to know about Latin America and its past, so if you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to try all the ones that come your way.