Forget PSL, Give me Tamales and Champurrado

By: Gustavo Castillo Jr

A cheese and rajas tamale with Champurrado

In America, autumn marks the start of Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) season and the imminent arrival of winter; which, for Mexicans, is exciting because it marks the advent of tamales and champurrado. Maybe you've had tamales and champurrado before, if so you've experienced one of life's great pleasures. If you haven't, I'm happy I get to introduce you to a favorite Mexican holiday treat.

Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made from masa, a corn flour dough, and filled with a variety of foods. The stuffed masa is wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and cooked in a steamer. The origin of tamales dates back to pre Columbian times and the word "tamale" comes from the Nahuatl word tamalli, which means wrapped. The original concept of the tamale dates back to many ancient civilizations; however, European influence introduced the use of pork and other meats as stuffing for tamales. There are innumerous varieties of tamales ranging from savory to sweet across Latin America.

Champurrado is a warm sweet beverage made with milk, chocolate, corn flour, cinnamon, and vanilla (not to be confused with Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate). Champurrado is a type of atole, a beverage dating back to pre Columbian times made with corn flour. The use of corn flour gives the beverage a very thick and rich consistency.

Making tamales is a labor of love. Its preparation is intensive, requiring soaking corn husks, making masa, preparing stuffings, and hand filling each one before wrapping it and placing them in the steamer for over an hour. Because of their long preparation times, families only make them in large quantities during the holidays and on special occasions. But tamales are about much more than cooking and eating. Their preparation is a time for families and friends to work together to make them in between laughter, the latest gossip, or just catching up on your latest telenovelas. And the long prep time and cold winter days are made that much better while drinking champurrado, tamales' faithful friend.

At Que Ricos Fresh Mexican Kitchen, we offer three types of tamales during the holiday season: pork, chicken, and cheese & rajas (rajas means slices in Spanish). I love each one for different reasons but my heart secretly lies with cheese & rajas. What can be better than a tamale that oozes cheese when you cut into it and has yummy slices of poblano chiles for added texture and flavor!

Tamales and champurrado are more than just a holiday tradition; they are a moment of unity, festivity, family, and community. For that reason, like donuts, Tamales should be ordered by the dozen. You can certainly come to Que Ricos and buy one tamale and eat it alone but doing so is sad. Indulgences are best enjoyed with family and friends so go ahead, order a dozen and take them to work or home to share. And nothing washes down a tamale quite like a warm champurrado. We offer a 12 oz option for personal enjoyment and a larger 32 oz size to share. A word of caution when drinking champurrado, it's a thick liquid and it can be easy to burn your mouth if it's too hot.

So forget PSL which, in LA, are mostly consumed sitting alone in your car during rush hour and bring on Tamale and Champurrado season; a season marked by moments with loved ones eating delicious food.