News
 Home
Page
Costa
Rica
Latin
America
Sections
Special
Reports
Travel/Tourism
Real
Estate
Business
Health
The
Internet
Letters
Opinion
Colu
millionists
Leisure
EroTica
Entertainment
The
Take!
Learn
Spanish
Photos
Editorial
Letters
Opinion
Columnists
Public
Forum
Who We Are
About
Us
Contact Us
Advertise
with us
Subscribe
to our
Newsletter
Links
Page
|
 |
COSTA RICA -
Saturday 11 December 2004
<
Back
Send this Page To a Friend |
Tamales
For
most Costa Rican families, a
Christmas without the
traditional "tamales" is
incomplete. A survey of prices
around town reveals that the "mercado
central" is the best place to
buy the ingredients at the best
prices.
This delicious typical dish,
prepared almost exclusively in
December comes from a millennial
tradition.
The base of a tamal is corn, or
maize, a crop cultivated by the
Meso-american Indians since
pre-Columbian times. Corn has
always been an essential element
in their diet and it is used to
prepare an endless number of
tasty dishes, such as the
well-known tortillas and atole,
plus, even, alcoholic drinks
like chicha.
It is also believed that tamales
are a part of our ancestors'
heritage. The truth is, all
Costa Ricans will remember
having eaten them since they
were small children.
Making and cooking tamales is
generally an activity which
involves the participation of
all family members. It is a
slow, careful and laborious
process. As some family members
prepare the corn dough, others
will be chopping and mincing
additional ingredients and yet
others will be preparing the
plantain leaves and strings that
will be used to wrap the tamales
for boiling. Grandmothers and
mothers will teach
granddaughters and daughters how
to make tamales; making sure the
tradition is kept alive.
All through the month of
December no Costa Rican home
will be found without tamales.
It might seem as if they don't
get tired of eating them; some,
even three or four times a day!
They are eaten for breakfast,
lunch and dinner and they are
absolutely fundamental for
coffee break time.
During the season, invitations
to eat tamales at friends' and
relatives' homes are common.
Whoever does not make them can
buy them ready to eat from
commercial producers. The fact
is, for Christmas, tamales
cannot be missing from the
kitchen!
The Ingredients
- 2 pounds maize (corn
flour)
- 2 pounds pork
- 2 pounds bacon
- 2 cups cooked, seasoned rice
- ground chicharron (cracklings;
fried pork skin)
- several carrots
- a few potatoes
- sweet peppers
- coriander
- canned peas
- salt, black pepper, cumin
The Preparation
Soak the flour in water and
cook it with a little salt one
day before making the tamales.
Wash it thoroughly and change
the water. Let it stand
overnight. The next day, knead
it into dough.
Boil the carrots, potatoes and
meat in separate pots, seasoning
with black pepper, cumin,
coriander and salt.
Once this is done add the water
from the meat you just cooked to
the dough until you get an
intermediate consistency. Also
add some salt and the potatoes,
previously mashed or pureed in a
blender.
Wash the plantain leaves (you
can substitute banana leaves).
Cut them into 16 by 14 inch
pieces. On each piece place two
tablespoonfuls of dough. On top
of the dough place a
tablespoonful of rice, a piece
of meat, some chicharron, a
slice or two of carrots, some
peas, coriander and a strip of
sweet pepper. Fold the leaf into
a rectangular shape, making sure
no part of the tamal is exposed.
Tie the bundle carefully and
securely with string.
The rest is easy. Just place
them in salted, boiling water
for about one hour. Unwrap them
so you can get to one of the
most typical and delightful
tastes of Costa Rica.
Try it and remember Costa
Rica!
Buen Provecho!
Note: Many variations exist on
this basic recipe. Different
kinds of meat can be substituted
(shredded chicken breast and
roast beef are two favorites),
and the flavor of the corn dough
can be enhanced greatly by
adding a few minced onions, some
crushed garlic and maybe even a
little Tabasco sauce. In Costa
Rica the basic "seasoned rice"
is rice cooked with minced
onion, diced sweet pepper,
garlic, coriander and salt.
|
|
