The Holiday Season in Costa Rica Means It Is Time for Tamales

With the holiday season in full swing, Costa Rican Christmas traditions are also on ready display throughout the country. Among them is the tamal, which is singular in Spanish. The word tamale with which most North Americans are more familiar is actually an English word. Families in Costa Rica will often make large batches of these tasty treats before Christmas, but it can often be a struggle to prevent them from being consumed too quickly because they are so popular. Preparing large batches of tamales is not an easy task. The process begins early in the morning before the sun is up. It then proceeds all day until around sundown when a large batch is typically placed in a massive pot of boiling water. Traditionally, the pot is placed over a wood fire outdoors, usually somewhere behind the family home. After an hour, the first batch comes out and the next goes in. It is not unusual for families to make multiple batches in a single day.

Costa Rican tamales have a distinctive form unlike the smaller Mexican tamales that are traditionally wrapped in corn husks or even the much larger varieties from Columbia. The Costa Rican version of the tamale is ideal for a nice snack or even a light meal. While they are a traditional Christmas staple in the country, they can often be purchased in the supermarket throughout the year and oftentimes at food stands. Typically, they are sold two together as a pair, called a piña.

The Tico version of the tamal, unlike the Mexican version, is wrapped in large leaves. This is oftentimes banana leaves, but it could just as easily be any other type of large leaf. For many of the families living in rural areas, collecting the leaves necessary for making tamales provides an important source of income and it is one not without risk, given the potential for snakebites.

Pork or chicken is usually used in making the tamal. The meat must first be boiled along with some spices. At the same time, corn is boiled and when it is finished, it is ground in a form of dough known as masa. Some families opt to bring their corn to a mill that will handle the grinding for them. Due to the extent of the work involved in making the large batches of tamales for the holiday season, the entire family is often involved in assembling them.

In addition to the masa dough, each individual tamal includes a small piece of meat, carrots, chick peas, potato, rice, and peas, although recipes vary from one family to another. Once the tamal is assembled, it must be folded carefully to ensure that the ingredients do not make their way out during the cooking process. Once they are folded, they are tied together using string to form the piña, or pair. After that, off they go to the pot of boiling water, where they boil for an hour.