Tamale Request - Central American Style

Is there anywhere in Chicago that I can purchase Central American style (Salvadorian, Honduran) tamales?

I have purchased some from a woman at the Maxwell Market who also sells pupusas but she hasn't been there in 4 weeks.

Thank You

Hi Orgullo de M,

There are a couple places mentioned in this thread:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5560

And Rudy's Taste (1024 N. Ashland near Augusta) has a couple types of Guatemalan tamales on the menu.

Good luck finding the kind you are looking for!

Amata

Cristophers Cafe (think that's the name) has larger tamales wrapped in banana leaves with very smooth masa. I'm not sure exactly where these are from, but they're definitely not Mexican. The owner is usually there and always very helpful. Maybe you could give him a call and ask him where exactly they're from.

This place is on Halsted, right where 18th St. dead ends. He also makes an excellent flan de queso. I understand that his pastel de tres leche is considered very good, but I just don't really care for that kind of cake. (He serves three kinds if my memory serves me.) To me this is an great meal, a tamale, a flan and a cortado (I think that's the name); it's like a latte with way less milk. YUM!

Hope this helps!

Heidi

HeidiHo wrote:Cristophers Cafe (think that's the name) has larger tamales wrapped in banana leaves with very smooth masa. I'm not sure exactly where these are from, but they're definitely not Mexican. Heidi

I believe the most commonly found banana leaf-wrapped tamales are Oaxacan.

Hi,

At Salamera, I have had a banana leaf covered tamale (or was it a humita?).

In the Philippines, they have a tamale-type item which is wrapped and steamed in banana leaves. I have the recipe but I have yet to try it.

Regards,

HeidiHo wrote:Cristophers Cafe (think that's the name) has larger tamales wrapped in banana leaves with very smooth masa....

Yes, it's Kristoffer's Cafe. Those tamales are listed on the menu as "Mayan tamales". (Every time I've tried to order them there they've been out of them. )

Christopher Gordon is right that Oaxacan tamales (available at Maxwell Street Market, for example) are wrapped in banana leaves, and as Cathy2 indicates, the use of banana leaves as a wrapper extends further south into South America. Over here JeffB posted a quote in Spanish about two types of tamal-like items in Peru, one wrapped in corn husks and one in banana leaves.

Antonius and I recently had some tamales veracruzanos which were also wrapped in banana leaves. (Where, you ask? We'll be posting about it soon.)


Kristoffer’s Café and Bakery
1733 South Halsted
312 829-4150
8-8 M-F, 9-5 S-S

In Chicago, if you are served a tamal-like (the singular is tamal, not tamale) item in a banana leaf, it is probably Oaxacan, Guatemalan, or Peruvian -- or it is a Puerto Rican pastel.

The smooth "masa" in Central Am. tamales is attributable to the use of rice flour as well as corn.

Zim has discussed a place to get good tamales Gutemaltecas. I get mine from my aunt.

Good hallacas Venezolanos can be found at Caracas on Clark at Devon.

Your best bet is, no surprise, La Unica. Particularly around the holidays, La Unica has a very wide variety of both locally-hand-made and commercial (Goya, eg) tamal-like items in the freezer representing various South and Central American countries. The tamal is a Christmas item of particular importance, with families having tamal-making gatherings not unlike the Polish pierogi-making party.

Among tamales, the use of a corn husk is actually less common (if one goes by the numer of styles) than the use of a banana leaf. Corn husks are commonly used for the well-known Mexican tamal as well as the Cuban version.

Jeff,

If one buys the frozen tamales in the shop, what is the best way to reheat? I assume by steaming. Though for the inexperienced, how do you know when they are done?

(Once this thread has run its course ... it will be moved to cooking and shopping)

Regards,

Ys, Cathy, steaming is the way to go. No need for a double-boiler or anything, one can just set the tamales in an inch or two of boiling water and cover, reducing to a simmer. I can't really say what the "right" period of time is, because it depends on the number of tamales, size of tamales, amount of water, heat of the burner, etc. The tamales are generally already cooked and simply need to be heated through.

Tamales generally do not suffer from overcooking. No pasta-type concerns here. Folks might have noticed that the tamal-ladies produce their wares from scortchingly-hot insulated coolers. The tamales are very hot for a very long time and do not suffer much.

So, I'd consider reheating tamales to be one of those long-term, no-brainer cooking experiences, like making something in a crock pot or braising. 45 minutes sounds safe for a pot-full, checking for doneness from time to time. They should not unravel, fall apart or become water-logged if they are made correctly and the leaf is covered with foil and/or parchment, which is usually the case.

Hi,

I wanted a tamale at Salamera last week. Unfortunately it "exploded" and wasn't served.

I just remember I posted a few months ago on the Columbian bakery, which also offers a banana leaf wrapped tamale. I believe they were around $6 and quite substantial.

I bought my first tamale in the Sears parking lot on Irving Park near Cicero circa 1969. I wasn't terribly impressed, but experience and greater exposure has turned me around. Back then I doubt there were nearly the number of locations to obtain an tamale and wrapped in banana leaves almost unheard of. I'd definitely call that progress.

Regards,

JeffB wrote:
Zim has discussed a place to get good tamales Gutemaltecas. I get mine from my aunt.

the place I mentioned is las delicias on western north of lawrence. I've mentioned more than a few times that I am a big fan of the tamales there. In general I like the place quite a bit

[oops! on review, i see that Zim was talking about Las Delicias Guatemaltecos which used to be in Logan Square) Las Delicias on Kedzie closed abot 6 months ago. A new guatemalan bakery opened on Diversey just west of Sacramento called Guatelinda. They have many of the same guatemalan pastries as Las Delicias had, plus a selection of unique canned an dboxed items (including guatemalan heavy cream, frozen chipilin, and muy autentico central american chao mein mix). On the weekends they have a selection of prepared foods, including tamales and tamalitos de chipilin. I've only had 'em a couple of times but they are very good, and the family that runs the place is very personable.

actually Seth the place I was talking about is:

Cafe Las Delicias
(773) 293-0656
4911 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

Its salvadoran owned, but they do a number of guatemalan things for the guatemalan clientele they have

seth wrote:[oops! on review, i see that Zim was talking about Las Delicias Guatemaltecos which used to be in Logan Square]

I think my LTH muscle must be atrophying from disuse. Even after realizing my error, my typing was unable to remedy it. That should've been:

[oops! on review, i see that Zim wasn't talking about Las Delicias Guatemaltecos which used to be in Logan Square)

zim wrote:

JeffB wrote:
Zim has discussed a place to get good tamales Gutemaltecas. I get mine from my aunt.

the place I mentioned is las delicias on western north of lawrence. I've mentioned more than a few times that I am a big fan of the tamales there. In general I like the place quite a bit

recently had a chance to get tamales again at las delicias - unfortunately I have to report that they are no longer the larger softer central american style that i remember loving so much. While the fillings remain chunks of pork and and an olive, the sauce, size and texture are much more mexican tasting to my palate (and not the best tamale around). Pupusa's however were solid and plaintains, beans and crema very nice, and the chocolate rocked

I used to get these sort of tamales from a street vendor outside the Cermak Produce on Kedzie on the weekends. I'm pretty sure there are still tamale vendors there, but I don't know if the same guy is. I recall him selling them out of a shiny silver van.

thanks Aaron,

I'll check him out - do you remember if he had muliple varieties?

Guatemalan, I believe, but I don't recall seeing pork, if that's what you mean, though I don't remember for certain. I think the ones I had were bone-in chicken, wrapped in banana leaf. Quite large, very soft texture, soupy almost, and there was an olive inside as well.

Good luck.