Bryan Stalder
Northeast News

It wouldn’t be Christmas without tamales for many in the Latin-American communities. Tamales are a holiday tradition that, for generations, have united families together in the kitchen to share in the joy of preparing the traditional dish, and are a part of happy holiday memories for so many.

With Christmas only two weeks away, your abuela is probably preparing to share her recipe with the family again, but if you don’t have an abuela, there are may places in the neighborhood where you can order enough tamales for the whole family.

There are numerous variations of tamales made with different ingredients and prepared differently, generally based on the food sources available to distinctive Latin-American regions, but those most widely available in the Kansas City area are made with masa and lard, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed. Generally there is either a red chili and pork or green chili and chicken filling, although Elvira’s Bakery offers five different varieties.

If tamales aren’t a part of your holiday tradition, it’s never too late to begin making new traditions.