"MAN y'all really love these tamales huh?"
We're causing something of a stir at Madison and Central. The gentleman pictured above pointed at me as soon as I walked into the store and said "tamales!"* The guy at the deli counter, who is from Leland, Mississippi on the Delta, nodded pleasantly when I arrived at the back, and said they'd been making extra lately because of "the interest". Two women, who had purchased a package of bread at the front of the store and were having the deli guy put 40 cents and 85 cents, respectively, of ham on their ad hoc sandwiches, were very curious at the tamale pot and had them open one of the foil and corn husk wrappers to reveal the soaking oily cornmeal. They ordered one to split.
This is an establishment run by very nice people. However, for a recent grand opening, I must say that the store is in some disarray, and saw no evidence of "fresh meats," the only offerings in the case being head cheese, ham, and muenster, and most of the traffic in the deli area of the store was to the gloppy liquid cheese dispenser.
Still, I would go back in a second if the tamales were that exceptional. Sadly, they didn't do the trick for me. As aforementioned, they're sodden. Completely wet. Permeated by the juices of the home-use crock pot in which they're contained. The natural corn husk looks appealing, but the internal flavor to me was completely Lawry's Taco Seasoning, marinated in hot dog water.
All the same, I am very thankful to Rene to opening my eyes to yet another spot on my route home, and to this particular item of American cuisine. I can see what potential is contained in the Delta-style tamale, and would look forward to another example from a different place, or perhaps getting J's to make a fresh batch to be steamed at home.
* I always like to think I'm not
that white, since in Spain people think I'm Basque, and in Morocco Algerian, and in Russia Chechen. Chicago reminds me constantly: I'm that white. I'm basically fading out of my own boring existence.