Where Southern Black History & Mexican History Collide

You may know about Latin American Tamales, but do you know about Mississippi Delta Style Hot Tamales?

Growing up I only knew the Mexican tamales that my mom and grandmother make during Christmas time, but when I moved to Memphis (which is literally only four hours away from where I was raised) I kept seeing “hot tamales” signs. To my surprise, they weren’t Mexican Tamales. Turns out these were Mississippi Delta Style Hot Tamales.

If you’re like me, you may not know about “ The Delta”. The Mississippi Delta encompasses the northwest region of Mississippi, also including some parts of Louisiana and Arkansas.

Though Memphis is not exactly part of The Delta, it is clear that the influence overcomes state borders. Some say that Mexican laborers in the South influenced this African American, Southern delicacy. Others say that it comes from an African American meal called cush, which is made out of cornmeal and water. To learn more about the history of the Delta tamales, I recommend these resources to start:

Read About the Hot Tamale Trail

https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/hot-tamales-the-mississippi-delta/

"How The Hot Tamale Conquered the American South"

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-hot-tamale-conquered-american-south-180947973/?no-ist

Two Tamal Worlds

You see, on Saturdays, I live between two tamal worlds. On one end is the Cooper-Young Farmer’s Market, a year-round, small farmers market with various vendors, including Eny’s Tamales, a Mexican, family-owned tamal stand, from chicken to black bean (for the vegetarians like me). On the other end, there’s the Hatties Hot Tamales truck. These “South Memphis Style” tamales are similar to Delta style. They’re usually made out of pork, made with cornmeal or masa, sometimes wrapped in a corn husk, but usually wrapped in parchment paper. Unlike tamales from Latin America, which are steamed, the ones I’ve had are fried.

The first and only time I tried hot tamales was actually not in Mississippi or Memphis, but in Pelham, Alabama, where I had black bean hot tamales at Delta Blues Hot Tamales. I chose the Mississippi Melt style, smothered with queso and corn relish. They were smokier, oilier, and harder than the tamales I’m used to, and while I have to say I still prefer Mexican tamales, I’m glad I had the opportunity to try such familiar ingredients in a different way.

Want to try some hot tamales? Below are some places that you can support: