TAMALES
Where did they come from, how did they wind
up in a glass jar and where did they go?
Once again
we have to look back to get the true story of tamales. We have to go back eight
or ten thousand years when Andy Aztec was really getting tired of
the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches his wife Emma always fixed for him to
take on his hunting trips.
He came
home from one of those hunting trips and threw a flamingo down on the table and
told her to chop it up and make him something different for the next hunt.
Emma had a
crock full of masa, a starchy dough that
she was going to make pancakes with. (I have already told you enough about
pancakes) She chopped up the flamingo added some onions and spices and rolled
it up in the masa. Then she wrapped the whole thing in a corn husk and steamed
it.
She
packed several of them into his lunch pouch the next time he went hunting. When
he returned he gave Emma a big kiss and a swat on the behind telling her that
the flamingo tarts were delicious but that the coating on them was hard to chew
and almost indigestible. She told him that the corn husk was supposed to be
removed before eating.
“That
is a great idea, it will make them so much better. What do you call them?” he asked.
“So’s I can tell the guys.”
She
thought about if for a minute. The Aztec word, tamalii, came to mind. It
meant “wrapped food.” They are called “Tamales.” she smiled.
The
Derby company
put them up in glass jars because eight of them fit perfectly and they looked
good.
The
company name possibly is associated with the Kentucky Derby. The Tamale is the dish that best embodies
"the backside" of the Derby ,
where all those that work with the horses live and work. Most of them are from Central America , and due to the migratory nature of the
job and a lack of kitchen access, they rely on hot plates and crockpots to
re-create their traditional cuisine.
When I was a
kid, the Derby
glass jars of tamales were readily available There were always a couple of jars
in the pantry. Ready to be popped open for lunch or a late night snack. You
just heated them up and unrolled them on top a piece of rye bread and added some horse radish.
I haven’t
seen any of those glass jars around for quite some time but recently my wife
visited a specialty market out in Hartwell and brought home two “cans” of Derby
Tamales. There were eight of them in each can, just like the jars used to hold.
They were delicious.
Later my
wife looked more closely at those cans. The tamales we had were packed around
the beginning of this century but they didn’t make us sick. So let’s hear it
for preservatives.
Oh sure, all
the Mexican restaurants serve tamales but they are big round things in real
corn husks with real mixtures of fresh ground meat, vegetables and spices. They
aren’t any thing like those paper wrapped, cornmeal covered, mystery stuffed
beauties we used to get from a glass jar.
If you are
as old as I am you might remember, during the thirties, the Molly Man at Eighth
and State. He stood at his cart beside the bank building and sold hot tamales. “Molly, Molly, Hot Tomale, get em while dere
hot Tomale,” He would sing.
It was
always a treat, the nights my Dad would close the bar early and take me down to
see the Molly Man. His tamales were a lot like the glass jar kind, but way
better.
I'm sorry to hear that Derby Tamales are gone. For me, the idea of a food that simple was attractive, but I didn't like them very much.
ReplyDeleteYou mention the "Molly Man" in the 30s, that was before my time, but in the 50s and 60s there was still a tamale stand in front of that bank. We called it Hap's Tamale Stand. Hap, who was missing a leg, belied his nickname, but he did have good tamales and even better mets. A soon as I could drive,the same father who took you there at night preferred to send me down to get his tamales for him
I took a date to Hap's for dinner once. That proved to be a mistake.
I like your blog.
Charlie (your brother)
Can these still be bought
ReplyDeleteI believe they are out of business. I remember Haps down at 8th & State
ReplyDelete