To the other point in the question, I think it's just fine to eat with a spoon, too, if that's more comfortable. Miss. Tamales are a little messy.

stevez wrote:If it's in a corn husk, remove the husk and don't eat it (unless you're really hurtin' for roughage ). Mississippi Delta Tamales usually come wrapped in foil or paper, which you shouldn't eat, either.

The Franciscan priest at the St. Xavier del Bac mission in Tucson, a native of Milwaukee stated that the most difficult part of celebrating his first Christmas in Arizona was eating all the tamales .... until he was told to remove the husks before eating.

jlawrence01 wrote:

stevez wrote:If it's in a corn husk, remove the husk and don't eat it (unless you're really hurtin' for roughage ). Mississippi Delta Tamales usually come wrapped in foil or paper, which you shouldn't eat, either.

The Franciscan priest at the St. Xavier del Bac mission in Tucson, a native of Milwaukee stated that the most difficult part of celebrating his first Christmas in Arizona was eating all the tamales .... until he was told to remove the husks before eating.

President Ford had a similar experience in Texas.

FOOD TRENDS DON’T USUALLY INCITE extreme violence. But in early 20th-century America, the popularity of one recently arrived street food caused turf wars, which the media breathlessly sensationalized. That food, as it happened, was the humble tamale.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tamale-history

Next time you really need to check out Fat Mama's Tamales in Natchez, Miss. Theirs are finger-food style. I can easily eat 6 and have known, when hungry, to devour the entire dozen.