By:

Marino Jaén Espinosa
2010-01-15

Being corn a staple of the Mezoamerican peoples of Mexico and Central America, there are still many traditional dishes in the region that are based on that grain. One of the is the tamal, which in many forms can be found all over the region. In this article, we will concentrate in the Panamanian variation.

Our tamal is made, as many others, of corn and some filling made of chicken or pork meat and assorted vegetables such as tomatos, onions, peppers anc cilantro. All these ingredients are milled together and made into a mix.

At the same time the processes described above are taking place, the meat is being cooked and algo the wrappings of the tamale are being prepared. These wrappings are made of banana or plantain leaves, and of several other similar big leaves. After they are cut, they need to be cleaned and then cooked for a short time, in order to be clean and flexible enough for wrapping the tamal.

The next step is the stuffing and sealing of the tamal. In addition to the meat, more vegetables are put in, as well as olives, peas and raisings. The tamal is then sealed and wrapped up using the leaves and then tied. Next they are submerged in boiling water until ready to serve.

When the tamal is served, the person eating it first has to unwrap it. Then, when the brightly orange-yellow tamal is exposed, it is ready to be enjoyed.