Yet Another Tamal Video

LET’S CHAT ABOUT IT

Tamales have gotten quite a bit of love on this page as of late — I know. But is there such a thing as overkill when it comes to tamal content? I don’t think so.

It’s funny though because, before a few months ago, I had never even tried tamales. I’m not sure why I never thought to order them from the copious Mexican restaurants I have been to in my lifetime, but it was not until my most recent visit to Taqueria Coatzingo (I miss you the most during quarantine, boo) that I finally pulled trig and ordered a tamal.

I wrote about that tamal in a previous post about trying new things. It was a tamal con mole y pollo and it was so good that I instantly regretted all twenty-two years of my life in which I had not yet tried tamales. Last night, I ordered Mexican takeout and got myself a tamal de rajas con queso — I think I liked her even more than the mole tamal, it was just so spicy and cheesy and had some salsa roja that was mind-blowing and oh my God now I want tamales. Anyway! I digress! This post wasn’t supposed to be about my experiences with tamales.

As I explained in my birria video post, like with all things I love, I now find myself watching a ton of videos about tamales. The one above was done by a few of my favorite ex-BuzzFeed guys — I suggest giving it a watch, they are very funny — and compares restaurant-prepared tamales with homemade tamales. Which do you think they preferred?

The restaurant featured in this video is evidently a very popular and posh LA Mexican restaurant that puts a spin I have never heard of before on their tamales: they remove them from the husks and lightly grill them on either side before serving. Not going to lie, that sounds absolutely amazing — the only thing that could possibly improve a tamal would be a little textural contrast, a little crispy crunchy masa to keep things exciting.

So, yes, the restaurant’s tamales looked delicious and the hosts reported that they truly were. And I believe it, but I think my favorite thing about tamales videos on YouTube is watching a whole family come together to make them. This video is no exception, it shows how uniting and fun making tamales can be. It’s an occasion for everyone to come together, grab a husk, and spread some masa the way Grandma says to. After forty minutes or so, the whole family gets to share a delicious meal that everyone had a part in meticulously preparing.

And you just don’t get those same warm fuzzies from a restaurant…