National Tamale Day – March 23, 2025

History of National Tamale Day

Tamales originated in 7000 B.C. They were first introduced in the Aztec empire. All those years ago, corn had not been discovered yet. The outer layer was called ‘teocintle,’ the precursor to modern maize. The ‘teocintle’ was popular for its sweet-tasting stalks. Once it was pollinated by the natives, the sweet and juicy corn was discovered inside. This was not the same as the modern corn we consume today.

In 1612, Captain John Smith claimed that tamales were made by Native Americans belonging to Virginia. He went on to talk about the process he had seen of making tamales, “Their corne they rost in the eare greene, and bruising it in a mortar of wood with a Polt; lappe it in rowles in the leaves of their corne, and so boyle it for a daintie.”

In the 1800s, the Mexican bourgeoisie began to associate the word “tamal” with poverty. This food dish was looked down upon by the upper classes due to its wide availability and for being a reason for ill health in peasants. The Mexican revolution caused an overturn of judgment when the bourgeoisie class sentiments were wiped out and the tamal was reborn as the symbol of Mexican cuisine.

In the 19th century, tamales traveled across the border into the U.S. and became very popular in America. The big Spanish-speaking communities in places like California, Texas, and Arizona had put up tamale stands everywhere. Tamales were all over the streets of Los Angeles to the point that the government had to fight to remove their spread. The locals had already fallen in love with this delightful dish however and such attacks on Mexican culture and cuisine were not tolerated.