A Tamalada is a long standing Mexican Tradition where friends and family gather for a feast. First, there’s the  call for all hands on deck to make a whole lot of tamales! Then there's the call to dinner, a delicious feast of steaming hot tamales. Savory and sweet tamales to share with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. 

How To Prepare For a Tamalada at Christmas 

Sometimes when tamaleras describe their Tamalada experience, they usually share what happens on the day of the Tamalada, but really, making tamales takes more time and work than the day of.  After everyone on the list has been invited to the Christmas tamalada, it's time to grocery shop. Then, on the night before the Tamalada, prepare your sauces, make your fillings and soak your corn husks. 

On the morning of the Tamalada prepare your masa for savory tamales and separate a section for sweet ones too. Masa  that is ready for tamales will be fairly smooth for easy spreading and flavorful.  Set up the work area with masa first, then savory filling, followed by extra veggies, and a pile of hojas ripped into strips for tying tamales, or folding the tamales.  A traditional Tamalada will involve the kids, whether they want to or not! Kids old enough to handle the work of assembling and tying tamales. Experienced tamaleras will spread enough masa onto the corn husk, but not too much or it makes them fat and doughy. Then a good measure of filling that gives the tamal a perfect ratio of masa:filling. 

Since Tamaladas are a full days work, be sure to have plenty of coffee, pan dulce, munchies and a quick lunch for all the tamaleras working that day. Throughout the day, it’ll be a tag-team affair of one person taking over a task while another takes a break, the children will slowly disappear, but including them keeps the tradition alive. There is never a lack of good fun chatter all through the workday, all the while the tamales are piled up and ready to be  steaming. 

How To Enjoy Tamales at Christmas Time:

Making tamales is a dear tradition that is close to my heart, but so is eating tamales at Christmas. This year, I have carved out a day and I am gearing up for a tamalada before this Christmas season ends. Last year to my dismay, it was absolutely impossible for me to do, but thankfully, although I didn’t experience the hard work of making tamales, I was able to enjoy a couple of dozen savory, yummy tamales with my family. I served a delicious tamale dinner during the Christmas season and the tradition of tamales at Christmas remained alive and well. That’s the blessing of networking, receiving tamales from all the other tamaleras around you. They love to share and have their tamales declared as the best! Of course another easy and comfortable way to enjoy authentic Mexican tamales at Christmas is to expedite an order  through Texas Lone Star Tamales. These Texas style tamales have a pretty good reputation for authentic and delicious flavor. Authentic tamales served with flavorful beans and rice and garnished with salsa, yummy! Tamales at Christmas time, it’s the best time of the year!