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\\nToday\\u2019s topic is all about the history of tamales. I love tamales. Scratch that, I feel I need to clarify. I love good tamales. Some tamales I\\u2019ve had are so bone dry, that I literally can\\u2019t swallow them unless I have first doused them in a healthy amount of sauce. 
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\\nA good tamale should be able to stand on its own. It should be moist and have intriguing fillings that keep me coming back for more and more bites. This basically rules out every tamale you can buy in the freezer section. All too often they suffer the fate of store bought corn tortillas. By their nature they are going to be more dry. Once the moisture comes out, it is almost impossible to get it back in.
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\\nMy Personal History With Tamales
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\\nOnce upon a time I worked in a Mexican restaurant. The food was fantastic, and I particularly enjoyed their enchilada sauce and chile verde. I avoided their tamales because they were unfamiliar. It wasn\\u2019t deep fried and it wasn\\u2019t a burrito. 
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\\nAfter sampling most of their menu over the following months, I finally discovered the joy that is wrapped up in the humble tamale. I was in love. I\\u2019d top them with enchilada sauce and chile verde. I was in heaven!
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\\nSince then I have dabbled in making my own tamales over the last few years. These efforts have actually been quite successful and have yielded great results. However, they are a lot of work. In fact, in many communities where tamales are a big thing, they are often a communal meal. Everyone pitches in to make the meal happen for special occasions only.
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\\nThe Origin of the Tamale
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\\nTamales have been around for a long time. They are believed to have come into existence as early as 8000 to 5000 bc in Mesoamerica. 
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\\nThe Aztecs and Mayans ate tamales. Their version differed from what we have today. They didn\\u2019t add fat and they definitely involved more exotic meats. Some of the fillings inside would feature turkey, flamingo frog, pocket gopher, rabbit, fish, turkey eggs, honey, fruit, squash and beans. They would also eat them with no filling. 
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\\nMayans were big on tortillas. However, before they had griddles and the ability to make tortillas, it is believed they also enjoyed tamales. The Mayan hieroglyph for tamales has been found on objects that date back to 200-1000 CE. It is also believed that the Mayan tamale was eaten much earlier than even that.
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\\nDifferent Regional Varieties
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\\nToday tamales have changed a little. However, the main concept is the same. You have a masa dough that has fat and seasoning cut into it. This is filled with a variety of items and then steamed to perfection. There are different regional varieties of tamales throughout Mexico. If you cast a wider net, other countries in Central and South America also have their own spin on this classic dish. I\\u2019ll now go through some of the highlights.
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\\nMexican Tamales
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\\nThese are easily the most well known tamale. When most Americans think of the history of tamales, they will think of the Mexican tamale. With Mexican tamales, lard or shortening is whisked in to masa flour to form a soft dough. Chili powders and sometimes even chili pure will be added to the dough to give it a reddish color. 
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\\nThe tamale is wrapped in a corn husk. The type of husk depends on the region. There are traditional fillings that are specific to different holidays and occasions when tamales are widely celebrated. Making tamales is incredibly time consuming and it is often a communal family event that is taken on by the women. In tropical areas of Mexico, a banana leaf is used to wrap a tamale instead of a corn husk.
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