Unwrapping Aztec Tamales | The Tamale Wars
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LINKS TO SOURCES**
Que vivan los tamales! by Jeffrey M. Pilcher:
Taco USA by Gustavo Arellano:
Aztec History:
A Short History of America’s ‘Tamale Wars’:
General History of the Things of New Spain by Fray Bernardino de Sahagun -
A Brief History of Tamales with Claudia Alarcon:
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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza
TAMALES
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Cups (600g) dried field corn
- 2 teaspoons (7g) Calcium Hydroxide
- 8-10 Cups (2L water) Water
- A few pieces of Tequesquite dissolved in boiling water
- Corn Husks
- Any cooked filling (Turkey, Papaya, Pumpkin, etc)
METHOD
1. Wash the corn and then add to a pot of boiling water with the calcium hydroxide. Boil for 30 - 45 minutes or until the skins easy come away from the corn. Remove from the heat and allow to sit in the water 8-12 hours. Rinse and soak your corn husks in water during this time.
2. Strain the corn into a colander and rinse any residual calcium hydroxide off. Then, add the corn to a bowl of clean water and rub the skins off the corn. Repeat this process several times until the majority of the skins are off. Then grind the corn into masa.
4. Add the tequesquite water to the masa until it forms a paste. Then spread a thin layer onto a corn husk. Add any filling. Then wrap the filling with the masa by folding the corn husk over it. Then fold down the end of the husk and tie closed.
5. Add an inch of water to the bottom of the steamer and set two coins at the bottom (the sound of these will let you know if you need to add water during the steaming). Then set the steamer basket in and lay a bed of corn husks on the bottom. Add the tamales and cover with another layer of husks. Then place the lid on the pot and set the water to boiling. Steam for 1 hour. The tamales are done with they easy pull away from the husk.
PHOTO CREDITS
Metate and Mano - By Leoboudv - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
#tastinghistory #tamales #aztec
Bravado Spice Makes Tamales Three Ways!!
Bravado Spice makes THREE different tamale recipes! A vegan butternut squash version, a vegetarian version with poblanos and cheese, and then a classic chicken recipe!
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Ingredients:
4 c Maseca (corn flour)
4 c Warm water plus more to soak the corn husks
6 oz Lard or shortening
1/3 c Bravado Spice Crimson Hot Sauce
2 tsp Salt
5-6 dz Corn (Ojas)
Steps:
1. In a large bowl or pot, submerge the corn husks in warm water and keep submerged for at least an hour. You may need a weight.
2. In bowl or stand mixer, mix the maseca, 4 c of the water, shortening, 1 tsp salt, and half of the Bravado Spice Crimson Hot Sauce. Mix thoroughly until completely mixed and lumps are gone; about 5 minutes in a stand mixer on medium low speed should do it. If you don't have a stand mixer, you will need to use your hands to knead the masa. This can take 10-15 minutes.
To test its readiness, drop a dime sized ball of masa in a glass of cold water. If it immediately bounces back up to the top of the water. Your masa is ready. Cover and set aside.
Vegan Butternut Squash Tamales:
1 1/2c Diced butternut squash
3 Tbsp Bravado Spice Pineapple & Habanero Hot Sauce
1 c Onion, diced
6 c Tamale masa (see masa recipe)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
5 dz Corn husks, soaked & softened
Steps:
1. In an well oiled pan, over medium heat, add the onion, squash, salt, & pepper. Sauté until the squash has softened, and then add the Bravado Spice Pineapple & Habanero Hot sauce, salt, & pepper. Mash the squash a bit, then remove from heat and set aside.
2. Rinse off the corn husks, and then, using a knife or small spatula, spread the masa over the widest (lower) half of the husk. Then fill the husks with the squash mixture, roll the tamales up, and then fold down the long, unfilled half.
3. Fill a tall steam pot until the water level almost touches the bottom of the steam basket. Then fill the pot with tamales. Be sure to stand the tamales open side up in the pot otherwise the filling will fall out. Once you have created a layer of vertical tamales, cover the tamales with extra corn husks, a clean, damp dish towel, and the lid. Steam for 60-80 minutes. Carefully remove them from the steam basket, allow to cool, unwrap, and enjoy!
Poblano Rajas Tamales:
4 Poblano Peppers sliced
3 Tbsp Bravado Spice Creamy Herb & Jalapeño Hot Sauce
1 c Onion sliced thin
1/2 c Crema mexicana
2/3 c Fresh corn off the cob
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Salt
6 c Tamale masa (see Tamale Masa Recipe)
2/3 c Shredded Oaxaca cheese
5 dz Corn husks, soaked & softened
Steps:
1. In an oiled pan, over medium heat, add the peppers, onion, salt, black pepper, and corn. Sauté until slightly browned and then add the Bravado Spice Creamy Herb & Jalapeño Hot sauce, crema Mexicana, 1/2 c water, and Oaxaca cheese. Cook until a thick creamy mixture has formed. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Rinse off the corn husks, and then, using a knife or small spatula, spread the masa over the widest (lower) half of the husk. Then fill the husks with the chicken mixture, roll the tamales up, and then fold down the long, unfilled half.
3. Fill a tall steam pot until the water level almost touches the bottom of the steam basket. Then fill the pot with tamales. Be sure to stand the tamales open side up in the pot otherwise the filling will fall out. Once you have created a layer of vertical tamales, cover the tamales with extra corn husks, a clean, damp dish towel, and the lid. Steam for 60-80 minutes. Carefully remove them from the steam basket, allow to cool, unwrap, and enjoy!
Spicy Chicken Tamales:
3 c Shredded chicken
1/3 c Bravado Spice Crimson Hot Sauce
1 c Diced tomato
2/3 c Onion sliced thin
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Salt
6 c Tamale masa (see Tamale Masa Recipe)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 c Water
5 dz Corn husks (Ojas)
Steps:
1. In pan, over medium heat, heat the oil, then add the tomato, onion, and salt. When the onion becomes translucent, add the shredded chicken, Bravado Spice Crimson Hot Sauce, and 1 c of water. Simmer 20 min until thickened and allow to cool.
2. Rinse off the corn husks, and then, using a knife or small spatula, spread the masa over the widest (lower) half of the husk. Then fill the husks with the chile mixture, roll the tamales up, and then fold down the long, unfilled half.
3. Fill a tall steam pot until the water level almost touches the bottom of the steam basket. Then fill the pot with tamales. Be sure to stand the tamales open side up in the pot otherwise the filling will fall out. Once you have created a layer of vertical tamales, cover the tamales with extra corn husks, a clean, damp dish towel, and the lid. Steam for 60-80 minutes. Carefully remove them from the steam basket, allow to cool, unwrap, and enjoy!
Ancient MAYAN FOOD - Jungle Cooking in MAYA VILLAGE in Quintana Roo, Mexico!
Ancient Mayan food in Quintana Roo, Mexico!
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One of the experiences I really wanted to have when I visit the Quintana Roo state of Mexico, was to learn about, cook, and eat authentic ancient Mayan food. So we rented a van, and drove over to the small jungle Mayan village of Chunhuhub, to meet up with Kíichpam K'áax ( who are aiming to preserve their Mayan culture.
It was about a 3.5 hour drive to get to Chunhuhub from Playa Del Carmen, so by the time we arrived we were all pretty hungry. We walked through the milpa (Mesoamerican crop growing system), and finally to the kitchen within the jungle of the property.
They were already busy cooking, preparing a few traditional Mayan foods, like a variety of tamales and cochinita pibil. They prepared everything to be cooked in the pib, the ancient Mayan traditional way of cooking - an underground hot rock oven (there are many cultures around the world who have used or still use a similar underground cooking technique).
Tok-sel - One of the most fascinating dishes they cooked was white beans, and they took a hot rock out of the fire, stuck it into the pan with the beans, and roasted them with the rock. It was incredible to see, and the beans had an incredible ummai flavor to them. They were delicious especially when paired with freshly made corn tortillas.
Achiote (annatto) - An interesting ingredients, used commonly in Mayan food and cooking, is achiote, a pod filled with red / orange fruit. It has a slight pepper and lemony taste, and also makes everything that uses it, bright orange.
Cochinita pibil - One of the main ingredients in cochinita pibil is achiote. They had pre-marinated it, and it cooked underground as well. The flavor of the pork was amazing, and with tortillas, onions, and salsa, it was truly support.
We had a number of different tamales as well, all of which were totally different from any tamales I’ve ever had. They were hearty and packed full of corn and beans, and very filling. They were a little on the dry side, but I fully enjoyed learning about them, and watching them being made. The different leaves, including the hoja santa, was great to learn about.
Special thanks to Centro Ecoturistico Kíichpam K'áax ( for putting everything together. They have an eco lodge and offer various off the beaten path activities like this.
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Thank you for watching this food in Mexico - ancient Mayan food video. It was an incredible experience to learn, cook, and eat, traditional Mayan food!
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Cherokee Bean Bread | Native America | PBS Food
Recipe:
Learn how to make this staple dish, which is part of nearly every meal in a Cherokee home. Chef Nico Albert (Cherokee Nation) is a self-taught chef, caterer and student of traditional Indigenous cuisines based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This video appears as part of Native America, a four-part series that explores the world created by America’s First Peoples. Reach back 15,000 years to reveal massive cities aligned to the stars, unique systems of science and spirituality, and 100 million people connected by social networks spanning two continents. Premiered October 23, 2018.
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