Every year, Olivia and Alisa make tamales together for Christmas. It is truly a Latin/Central American Christmas tradition that has crossed over into the US for those that have relocated here. Seems like everyone I know makes tamales around Christmas, but I have never gotten to experience the entire process before. So I was invited over for the making of the Costa Rican tamales!! CR tamales are a little different than your traditional Mexican ones you see more commonly. The concept is the same...but slight twists! The masa is a little different,as there is lots of special seasonings in the masa for CR tamales, the ingredients are very different, and they are wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks....which completely changes the flavor!
Olivia & Alisa already made the pork for the meat ingredient. So when I got there, we started making the masa...which is a scientific process in itself! And there is no "recipe" for it...you just have to "know"....as Olivia does. So it was hard to capture how to someday recreate it...(think I am going to need another session!!) The ingredients are everything but the kitchen sink! Most traditionally, carrots, peas, bell peppers, one olive, a couple capers, pork, rice, and a prune. Yes, the combo might sound odd...but it all meshes very well!! The timing of when the masa is done and how quickly you need to make them is key....so as soon as masa batch one was done...we got to work! It was a huge assembly line....and the last is that you wrap them in the warmed banana leaves (which were first cut to proper size, cleaned, and cooked in the oven to soften, and semi-char). Then you wrap them up with twine. And Costa Rican tamales are served in two's...which are called "pinas". So, when you order a "pina", you are ordering 2 tamales that have been wrapped and cooked together. Very interesting facts I learned today. And why, so you ask? Just because...that's what they do :)
SO, after they were all wrapped up in pretty little "pinas"....they are boiled for a while...until they are "done". Once they are done, they can be eaten, or frozen, or refridgerated for later. Of course we had to sample the finished product....which came out amazing!!! SO privledged to be there & get to experience the tradition. :) Cannot wait until next year!!!
Masa....
The fillers...nevermnd the mimosa in the foreground...we needed some form of hydration & nutrients!
The finished product, right before they are boiled to cook the masa together so that it forms a "tamale"
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