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ROUSES.COM
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LATIN AMERICAN
I
grew up eating Manuel’s Hot Tamales from a cart on Carollton Avenue in New Orleans’
Mid City. There’s a debate about whether Manuel Hernandez, or cart rival Bernarndo
Hernadez, was the first to peddle New Orleans hot tamales (Manuel’s wins on memory,
Bernado on historic record). But in the world of tamales, there’s a much bigger tamale
debate than cart vs. cart; this one is over the culinary origins of the Delta tamale itself.
The most popular origin theory is Mexico to America, either soldiers coming home from the
Mexican-American War (1846-1848) or Mexican migrant workers who came to work in
Mississippi’s cotton fields in the early 20th century. Native Americans often combined corn
meal with beef, and there’s an African dish “cush” or kush, which is made with cornmeal.
So, as you can see, there’s room for debate.
On a recent visit to Purloo on Oretha Castle Haley in New Orleans’ Central City, Chef
Ryan Hughes explained how the Delta tamales on his menu compared to the tamales
served at Casa Borrega, the Mexican restaurant just up the street. Delta tamales are smaller
and spicier than Latin or Mexican-style tamales, Hughes told me, and they’re boiled in a
spiced liquid instead of steaming.
But there are more similarities than differences. Delta tamales and Latin-style tamales
are both made with cornmeal, which gives them some grit and texture, or masa, a starchy
corn-based dough. Both are wrapped in cornhusks, although some Americans substitute
parchment paper, and in some parts of Mexico, like the Oaxacan region, tamales are
wrapped in banana leaves (that’s how they’re served at Casa Borrega).
Sauces vary from region to region, chef to chef, cook to cook. At Purloo, Hughes serves his
with a crawfish red gravy; at Casa Borrega, the chef uses a Mexican cream sauce. At Doe’s
Eat Place in Greenville, Mississippi, customers order tamales with a side of chili. And at
L&W’s House of Tamales in Zwolle, Louisiana, they order them to go.
Good Golly Miss Hot Tamale!
In October, a new Miss Hot Tamale will be chosen to reign over the Delta Hot Tamale
Festival in Greenville, Mississippi, the largest city in the Mississippi Delta. The festival
takes over the town for three days in October. There’s music, a tamale eating contest
and a tamale cooking contest; past entries include tamales filled with shrimp and grits,
spinach and artichokes, and sweet stuff like blueberries, strawberries and whipped
cream.
Over in Zwolle, Louisiana, a town of about 2,000, folks will
celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta in
October. The festival honors the city’s rich Spanish, French and
Native American heritage. Zwolle is in Sabine Parish, the heart of
Toldeo Bend Country near the Louisiana-Texas border. Its famous
tamales are made with pulled pork and masa made from dried,
ground hominy corn.
Mickey Brown’s Hot Tamales,
a mixture of seasoned beef and masa rolled in parchment
paper, have been a Houma, Louisiana, classic for over 60
years and a personal favorite since I was a kid. The tamales
were originally hand rolled, but in 2005, Mickey Brown’s
went modern, and moved into a new facility on Bergeron
Street large enough to accommodate tamale-rolling
machines. We sell Mickey Brown’s in our Frozen Meat
Section. Try them plain, with Saltine crackers, or topped
with chili and cheese.
—Tim Acosta – Rouses Marketing Director
Natchitoches is one of the oldest, if not
the oldest, town in Louisiana, and the
Natchitoches Indians are credited with making
the first Louisiana beef pies back in the 1700s.
(Spanish immigrants are credited with adding
the spice.) Meat pies aren’t unique to the Gulf
Coast, though. Empanadas (stuffed breads
or pastries) are served all over Spain, Latin
America, South America and the Caribbean
islands. Today’s Natchitoches meat pies are a
blend of beef and pork, and we also have the
Spanish to thank for that. Spanish explorers
brought pigs with them to America in the
1500s.
Look for Natchitoches Meat Pies in
our Frozen Meat Section.
NATCHITOCHES
MEAT PIES
Chef Ryan Hughes of Purloo serves Delta tamales with crawfish red gravy.