Sweet Tamales - Isabel Eats {Easy Mexican Recipes} (2024)

FAQs

What are sweet tamales made of? ›

Sweet tamales are a Mexican dessert made from a sweet masa corn dough and filled with a variety of fruit, nut and sugary fillings. Common fillings include raisins, pineapples, fruit preserves, cajeta and dulce de leche.

These options are obviously for savory tamales but if you find yourself with a sweet one — often filled with raisins or other dried fruit and sweetened with cinnamon and sugar – you could try a little vanilla ice cream on top, or simply enjoy it with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate or coffee.

Cuba. These tamales are usually a lot smaller than a traditional Mexican tamale, filled with garlic and tomato paste. Cuban tamales feature seasoning and fried pork that is evenly distributed throughout the corn masa and are usually not served with any form of sauce.

Tamales originated in Mesoamerica as early as 8000 to 5000 BC. The preparation of tamales is likely to have spread from the indigenous cultures in Guatemala and Mexico to the rest of Latin America.

Sweet tamales are not as well known outside of Mexico as their savoury counterparts, but they are equally tasty, and easier to assemble, because the flavourings are usually mixed in with the corn paste.

Combine masa harina, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as needed to form a spongy dough. Remove husks from water and pat dry. Spread dough out over husks to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Place 1 tablespoon pork filling over center of each.

Either savory or sweet tamales can be reheated in the microwave. Cover the wrapped cold or thawed tamales with damp paper towel then place them on a microwave-safe plate but don't overcrowed. (If you remove the corn husk or banana leaf you don't need to use the paper towel.)

Tamales are full of nutrition thanks to their high fiber content, well-rounded macronutrient composition, and micronutrients. Filled varieties in particular make great meals since they're higher in protein. Therefore, they're wonderful foods to incorporate to promote your health.

It's a Time-honored Tradition

Their origins can be traced back to Mesoamerica and they were eaten during the times of the Aztecs, Mayans and Olmecs. Since tamales were portable food, they were often used to feed men when they were away for battle or on hunting trips.

The correct word in Spanish is “tamal” to refer to the singular, which comes from the Nahuatl “tamalli.” Nahuatl is the language spoken by the Aztecs in central Mexico 500 years ago, before the Spanish conquest. And yes, tamales already existed back then.

What is the most popular tamale in Mexico? ›

Tamales verdes.

The bright, herbal and spicy mix of tomatillo and green chilies pair up with chicken or pork to create the most popular tamal, whether it comes wrapped in corn or plantain.

If you want an authentic Hispanic breakfast recipe, go with tamales. Tamal is a patty made from masa or corn dough and lard, wrapped around a sweet or savory filling, inside either a corn husk or a banana leaf.

Homemade tamales are stuffed with spicy tomatillo sauce, poblano chiles, and cheese — delicious! In Mexico, Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese is used, but those cheeses are hard to find here, so you can substitute with Monterey Jack.

Tamales are a dish of corn masa that is sometimes filled, then wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Tamales are primarily associated with Mexican cuisine, but they have been incorporated into the culinary traditions of many Central and South American communities.

Evidence of tamale cooking dates back to ancient civilizations in Mexico as early as 8000 BC. Although the exact history is not entirely clear, many historians believe that tamales were first made by the Aztecs ten thousand years ago.

For those who don't know, sweet tamales can be made in a variety of ways. But they're generally sweet and include fillings made out of raisins, pineapple, coconut, a variety of berries, nuts, and in some instances, chocolate.

Binaki (IPA: [ˈbɪ. nɑ. kiʔ]) or pintos is a type of steamed corn sweet tamales from two regions in the Philippines – Bukidnon and Bogo, Cebu. They are distinctively wrapped in corn husks and are commonly sold as pasalubong and street food in Northern Mindanao and Cebu.

There are sweet tamales filled with fruits, savory tamales filled with meat or vegetables, and plain tamales with no filling at all. The most common tamales are made with nixtamalized corn.

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 0.5% OF THE FOLLOWING: ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, DEXTRIN, CONFECTIONERS GLAZE, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, CARNAUBA WAX, SODIUM CITRATE, PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, FUMARIC ACID, RED #40, YELLOW #5 (TARTRAZINE), YELLOW #6, BLUE #1.