Tamales enriched with fat not only can be reheated, but hold heat for a long
time. This, and not the spicing, was the source of the street vendor's cry
"hot tamales" in turn of the 20th Century southern US.

Another point about the diffused leafbreads is that many were not called by
the Aztecan term, "tamal."


--
-Mark H. Zanger
author, The American History Cookbook, The American Ethnic Cookbook for
Students
www.ethnicook.com
www.historycook.com


"Olivers" > wrote in message
...
> Opinicus muttered....
>
> > "ASmith1946" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >> "White tamales with beans forming a sea shell on top; white tamales
> >> with
> > maize
> >> grains thrown in; hard, white tamales with grains of maize thrown in;
> >> red tamales with beans forming a sea shell on top; tamales made of a
> >> dough of
> > maize
> >> softened in lime, with beans forming a sea shell on top; tamales of
> >> maize softened in wood ashes; turkey pasty cooked in a pot, or
> >> sprinkled with
> > seeds;
> >> tamales of meat cooked with maize and yellow chili; roast turkey hen;
> > roast
> >> quail."
> >
> > Great menu. I'll have one of each... ;-)
> >
>
> The tamal (appropriate singular) must have developed fairly early in the
> MesoAmerican corn-based food chain, if for no other reason as a method of
> producing a portable food which could be reheated/"reconstituted" easily,
> and wrapped in corn shucks, banana leaf or other suitable material, didn't
> require a bowl or container.
>
> Containing everything, all the way from mais-only, sweetened or
> unsweetened, all the way through every available meat up to the fruit
> filled Christmas tamales, they vary widely by region and even family
> tradition.
>
> TMO