Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: The Joy of Cooking With the Kids and Friends
My kids are grown. They all have their own lives and apartments. So, for me, it is a delicious occasion when they come home with a plan to cook and share a meal. Cooking with them is a time to catch up on what’s important, share funny stories, smooth ruffled feathers, and maybe even heal old wounds. I treasure every chop, stir, and aroma of these events. They are that important to me.
To be clear, I cook just about every day. Sometimes it’s a small thing. Sometimes it’s big. Most times, it is somewhere in the middle. If it is a moderate to large undertaking requiring a lot of steps or time, I love to cook with my kids.
Today, my beautiful bonus daughter is coming with her boyfriend. The plan? Make tamales from scratch. We planned this about two months ago. I can’t tell you how much I have looked forward to this!
By weird coincidence, it is also Hispanic Heritage Month. Neither one of us has any Hispanic Heritage, but we do have a deep connection to eating yummy tamales and cooking together and that’s all it takes.
I believe any time we can spend with our kids in the kitchen is valuable. It allows us to reflect on our family story, traditions, and values. It is an opportunity to ensure they are passed down through generations. Given we are not blessed with an abuela to teach us, we had to figure out our own recipe. The good news is we’ve perfected it and it is all plant-based.
Ok. Now, on to the tamales. Scratch-made tamales are more than just a delicious dish. They hold binding power. Making tamales with my favorite people is about more than the end result—the shared experience, the laughter, the stories, the errors, corrections, adaptations, and the memories created along the way.
The History and Significance of Tamales
Tamales have deep roots in Latin American culture, dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Aztecs and Mayans. These portable, steamed pockets of masa (corn dough) wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves were often made for celebrations, festivals, and special occasions. Over the centuries, the tradition of making tamales has continued, evolving into a beautiful family-centered activity, particularly during holidays and gatherings.
Why Making Tamales is a Family Tradition
In many Hispanic households, tamale-making is a time-honored tradition, passed down from abuelas (grandmothers) to their children and grandchildren. It’s an event that brings generations together, with each family member playing a specific role in the process. Everyone contributes to preparing the masa, assembling wrapping and steaming the tamales. So, it’s not just about the food; it’s about joy, acceptance, and respect for each contribution.
The Value of Cooking Together
Cooking as a family offers an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones in today’s fast-paced world. Tamale-making, in particular, is a labor of love that requires time, patience, and teamwork. This shared experience fosters communication, teaches valuable life skills, and reinforces the importance of working together.
Quality Time: In our busy lives, spending time together in the kitchen allows families to slow down, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. Tamale-making is often a full-day event, giving everyone plenty of time to share stories, catch up, and create new memories.
Passing Down Traditions: For many Hispanic families, making tamales is a way to pass down cultural heritage and traditions. Parents and grandparents teach younger generations the techniques and secrets to perfect tamales, ensuring that the tradition continues.
Sense of Accomplishment: Working together to make tamales provides a sense of accomplishment. There’s something deeply satisfying about creating something from scratch as a family and enjoying the fruits of your labor at the end of the day.
How to Make Tamales as a Family: Step-by-Step Guide
If you’ve never made tamales before, the process can seem daunting. But when done with family and friends, each person takes on a specific task, making it both manageable and fun. Here’s a simple guide to making tamales at home with your loved ones:
1. Gather Your Ingredients and Equipment
To make tamales, you’ll need a few basic ingredients:
Masa harina: Corn flour used to make the masa.
Vegetable Broth: To make the dough and to moisten the masa.
Filling: We use black beans, onions, and seasonings.
Corn husks: Soak them in warm water to make them pliable for wrapping.
You will also need a large pot with a good lid and a steamer basket deep enough to hold the tamales standing on end.
2. Prepare the Masa
The first step is to prepare the masa. This is where family teamwork really shines! One person can mix the masa harina with the broth, and seasonings, while another stirs it to achieve a smooth, pliable dough. Make sure to taste and season the masa with salt and spices for flavor.
3. Prepare the Filling
While the masa is being prepared, others can focus on the filling. We cook our beans from scratch, but canned beans are also a fine option. Either way, the filling should be flavorful and seasoned to perfection. We like some spicy heat so we add peppers, too. If peppers are not in your flavor profile, leave them out. Family members can help shred mushrooms or chop vegetables for added flavor in the filling.
4. Assemble the Tamales
Once the masa and filling are ready, it’s time to assemble the tamales. Here’s where teamwork is key. Lay out a soaked corn husk smooth side up and spread a layer of masa in the center. Add a spoonful of filling, and then fold the husk over the filling, wrapping it tightly. Use a strip of corn husk to tie the tamale, like putting a ribbon around the middle of the tamale.
This is often where grandparents teach their grandchildren the proper folding technique, a skill that’s passed down with pride. Each tamale is a small work of art, crafted with love and attention.
5. Steam the Tamales
Once assembled, place the tamales in a steamer and cook them for about 1-2 hours, depending on the size and thickness. While they steam, the family can relax, chat, tell stories, or even play games or music to celebrate the occasion.
6. Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
When the tamales are ready, the entire family gathers around the table to enjoy the meal they worked so hard to create. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of eating tamales you made together. We rave about and critique them and try new combinations and sauces, knowing that every bite is filled with tradition, love, and family memories.
The Shared Experience of Tamale-Making
One of the most beautiful aspects of making tamales as a family is the shared experience. It’s not just about feeding your body; it’s about nourishing your tribe’s collective soul. As family members work side by side, the kitchen becomes a place of laughter, storytelling, and bonding.
Each tamale is a reflection of the hands that crafted it, whether it’s a young child learning how to spread masa for the first time or a grandmother passing down her secret recipe. The shared effort, combined with the joy of being together, makes tamale-making a meaningful family tradition.
Creating Lasting Memories
The process of making tamales is often as important as the tamales themselves. It’s during these times that families share stories, reflect on their heritage, and connect on a deeper level. For children, these moments become cherished memories they’ll look back on fondly as they grow older and start families of their own.
In many cultures, food is not just sustenance—it’s a way to bring people together, celebrate life, honor the past, and nourish the future. No matter where your people came from, making tamales as a family during Hispanic Heritage Month is a beautiful way to pay homage to these values.
Whether you’re making tamales for the first time or continuing a tradition passed down through generations, remember that it’s not just about the food. It’s about the connection, love, laughter, and shared experience that make each tamale taste that much richer.
Check out this recipe from Brand New Vegan:
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/vegan-tamales
Let us know what you think!
