Del Rio News Herald

Do you remember the ‘escándalo’ (commotion) that was made when one of our Presidents of the United States was served tamales at a dinner and he was eating it with the corn husk? The only reason he was stopped before swallowing the husk was that he commented to his neighbor, “This tamale is chewy!”

The tamales that are made along the Borderlands of Texas are very different from the tamales that are made in New Mexico or Arizona. I believe that ours are very tasty because they have more meat than masa. The reverse is true in New Mexico or Arizona.

Making tamales has traditionally been a family affair. Will this family affair continue as our young people even look at the tamales as something foreign next to the hamburger or the taco from Taco Bell?

Tamales in the big cities are completely commercial. Take a peek at the dozens of web sites related to tamales. Few speak of the relationship building that making tamales has traditionally been part of the majority of Americans of Hispanic heritage that were born and raised in Del Rio and along other border towns.

The most common time to make tamales is during the winter months. This is probably due to the fact that making tamales is usually a two-day affair and the kitchen does get hot to say the least.

Getting the family together to make tamales was the time used to get all the family news all in one place.

On some occasions all the comadres get together to help especially if the person does not have female relatives to come and help. This family picture was more usual than not.

“Andale, Dianita, ve y dile a mi hermana Cota que se venga en la mañana a las sies porque vamos a hacer tamales. Te cruzas la calle y le dices ha Rosa Sotelo y a tu tía Tilde que se vengan. Y no las quiero tarde. Tempranito, tempranito para tenerlos ya hechos para la cena. Vas con Cleto Rodriguez y le dices que te de una libra de nueces y una libra de uvas y que la semana que entra voy y le pago,” ordered my grandmother.

(Go Diana and tell my sister Cota that I want her to come over early tomorrow morning by six because we are making tamales. Cross the street and tell Rosa Sotelo, your aunt Tilde to come, too. I want them early. Go to Cleto Rodriguez and get a pound of pecans and a pound of raisins and tell him I will pay him next week.)

Wow, I thought to myself. “ I have the most important job of all. After I bathe and really wash my stinky feet, my grandmother will let me join them “a embarrar la hoja, pero primero tengo que pisar bien las hojas que estan flotando en el agua caliente, para que se suavizen” (to spread the masa, but first I have to step on the corn husks as they are being bathed in hot water to soften them.)

To be perfectly honest with you, I liked listening to the grown up talk. While I was squish squashing the corn husks, I was intently listening to why “el Compadre Felix se fue con la otra!!” That was nothing, I, also, learned that a cousin was getting married in a hurry after my uncle found her in the barn with her dress up and Panchito standing very, very close to her. The rest of the details were not very clear because everyone whispered the next two sentences. Oh well, I enjoyed the conversation while it lasted.

The masa, according to Abuelita, had to have a special, “tez.”

It had to taste a special way when the masa was raw. She would take a pinch and a taste. If the “tez” was not there, she would put more red guisado caldo, salt and a good “amasada”(knead).

My Abuelita believed that only one person was to prepare the “guisado” for the tamales. She was the designated person. She prepared the chiles and the guisado one day before. The masa was kneaded with the caldo from the guisado. The masa would turn reddish.

Making tamales is a family tradition. I was part of that tradition, but today I feel disappointed that I did not learn the process good enough to make tamales on my own with my daughters helping me. They might reject the idea. I can hear them say, “Oh, mother, it is easier to buy them already made.”

My sadness is that I will have broken the tradition that for decades my ancestors all joined in to make tamales and make a celebration of making tamales. Will tamales be made tomorrow?

Quizás que no y que triste que ésta tradición tan bonita, pura y familiar se tenga que acabar en mi familia (Maybe not and how sad that this beautiful, pure and familiar tradition must end in my family.) I certainly hope that you can save your tradition if you are part of it today. Keep it up and be proud that you will carry this part of the Hispanic culture forward.

Colorin, colorado, espero que los tamales no se hayan acabado! (I hope the tamales are not finished!)

God bless you and thank you for enjoying my story.

For comments please

e-mail me at:

dszertuche(at)hotmail.com

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Serving Del Rio and Val Verde County since 1929

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