Tamales are a traditional food that most Latinos eat for Christmas. Tamales come in every shape, size, and even flavor. When most people think of tamales they think of the traditional Mexican tamales with the corn husk wrapping.
The traditional flavors are usually chicken or pork in red or green chili sauce. Other flavors include sweet tamales where the masa(dough) is sweet rather than salty and they add raisins or pineapples. Another very popular tamale flavor is the tamal de rajas or cheese and roasted pepper tamale.
Other Latin American countries wrap their tamales in banana leaves giving the tamale a different flavor. Most of these tamales only include meat and is very rare to have sweet flavors.
Salvadoran tamales are made in banana or plantain leaves, & the masa is often seasoned w/ chicken or bouillon. The masa is smoother, so that the end result is a creamy, sweeter texture wrapped around the central flavor.
Will you be making tamales this Christmas? Le us know which tamales are your favorite!