What is the origin of tamales

The pre-Hispanic era inherited to Mexican society a myriad of customs, techniques and foods that today are fundamental aspects of national identity. Examples include the Day of the Dead, chinampas as a method of agriculture and a large list of foods, among which tamales stand out.

Tamale is one of the favorite delicacies of Mexicans. This is one of the many treasures that pre-Columbian cultures inherited to the territory and although the original recipe underwent several modifications with the arrival of gastronomy from other countries, specifically Spanish, it is a fact that this food was born many centuries ago.

What would people be like without the classic “guajolocombo” that is, a tamale cake with its respective atole, a combination at a fair price that takes away anyone's hunger. Nowadays it is very common to see stalls offering the food in question, however, little is known about the history of this ancient edible.

An article by the Government of Mexico indicates that it was one of the favorite dishes to be served at big festivals, specifically in which the fertility of the earth was appreciated, although it was also common to find it at various social events, including, they were an important element in the offerings of the dead. The appearance of the tamale “was firmer and more caked, made with vegetables such as pumpkin and chili.”

On the other hand, the existence of tamales occurred after a long process of development, since for their preparation it was necessary to use instruments to shell the ears, make the nixtamal, grind the grain and to cook the dough.

In addition, specific techniques such as nixtamalization, grinding, kneading, wrapping and cooking were developed. Issues that testify to the great advance of ancient civilizations.

It should be noted that the same document mentions that the popular saying “give atole with the finger” dates back to the time of the Aztecs, because “when the population was anxious because it wasn't raining, they were given atole and tamales” to forget the bad time.

It is well known that maize has been a key element in the cultural, social, economic and nutritional development of the country's population since long before the Conquest. The magazine Arqueología Mexicana of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) details that before the Postclassic period there is no record that tortilla was a common element among the original groups.

For this reason, through a series of investigations, experts came to the conclusion that possibly, the most common way to prepare corn “in many regions, and since ancient times, was what we know as tamale, that is, a portion of corn dough — mixed or filled with other ingredients — wrapped in leaf and steamed”.

The journal also emphasizes that there is a “relative absence of physical evidence on tamale consumption in pre-Hispanic times that is compensated by the existence of iconographic, linguistic and epigraphic evidence that provides some clues on the subject”.

Most of the information that has been found dates back to the Classic period in the Mayan area, even “a glyph has been deciphered to refer to the tamale, which is also significantly associated with notions of fertility and abundance.”

The Florentine Codex has been one of the most important sources of research for specialists, since it explains the diversity of tamales and specifies how they were consumed and even “give indications of the ways in which they were prepared”.

There is more evidence that this was a practice in Mayan and Mexica culture, however, there is also record that they were consumed on the coasts of Oaxaca, where they were prepared with shrimp, acuyo and pepita, “and that among the purépechas, in addition to the corundas, special tamales filled with beans were made for weddings”.

Later, in times of New Spain, butter, chicken and meat were added. Today there are tamales of all sizes, colors and flavors that continue to indulge the stomachs of several people.

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