I am aware that the title of this article may sound like silly nonsense, but bare with me.  There are bonafide valuable lessons that our current society can learn from one of the cornerstone dishes of Latin American cuisine, tamales.  It is worth going over a brief summary of the expansive and amazing history of this delicious dish before turning the spotlight on the valuable lessons that it holds.  

Estimates of the existence of the tamale dates back to thousands of years ago during the Archaic period of Mesoamerica.  It was during this period that agriculture became prevalent amongst the traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherer communities[1].   Among the crops grown at this time was the teocintle which is acknowledge as the precursor to modern maize.  Toecintle became the basis for what we now know as the tamale[2].  A succinct way of describing teocintle is a tasty corn wrapped in a pleasingly sweet stalk.  In the early stages of the tamale, different versions of it were made to serve the various dieties of the Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and Toltecs[3].  But over time the tamale became a staple of the native’s cuisine, particularly that of the poor.  Due to the extensive preparation process and the hours of cooking necessary, very few outsiders could make authentic tamales.  The tamale became associated with the lower class in places such as post-colonial Mexico.  This was so evident that it became a source of contention between the rich and the poor of Mexico with the former blaming the poor health of the later on the overconsumption of tamales.  The status of the tamale being a symbol of Mexican pride was restored after the ruling class was overthrown during the Mexican Revolution[4].  Since then the tamale has spread throughout the Western Hemisphere with numerous versions created to reflect the various cultures that have adopted it[5]. 

As I mentioned above, there are a few lessons that our society can learn from the history of the tamale.  The first, persistence is key for any worthwhile goal.  Although persistence isn't a lost virtue in today's society, it is a fading one.  In a world where the populace has been conditioned for decades to have the attention span of gnat it is understandable that many people just have not developed the temperament to apply persistence towards achieving the worthwhile goals that they really want in life.  Circling back to our friend the tamale, the most authentic forms of this delicious Mesoamerican delicacy are the results of a painstaking process. Centuries ago, the dish took multiple days to prepare and cook.  The process typically weaved together numerous steps ranging from harvesting the corn husk to grinding the corn to making flour from scratch to separating stems and seeds from the peppers to beating the lard to steaming and so on.  The dedication it took to make a serving of tamales took time, effort, planning, and patience.  These are qualities that can be applied to life, in general.  

The second lesson the tamale teaches us is classism is toxic for any civilization.  As mentioned before, there was a history of tamales being negatively associated with the poor of post-colonial Mexico by the wealthy.  That was just one red flag of the unsustainable relationship that lead to the Mexican Revolution.  The part that the tamale played in all of this was quite interesting.  It was a symbol of the poor not only because of that assignment by the Mexican bourgeoisie of the time, but also because it was the preferred traditional food for celebrations among the poor.  This made it understandable that the tamale was given the status it had after the revolution.  It signified both pride for the common people and disdain for the former ruling class.  The toxicity of such a disproportionately unequal relationship is very common in many civilisations throughout history.  It is not unique to our current global society.  However, what is unique to our society is that we have the ability to study the past and apply the lessons learned to the present so that our future can have a more agreeable outcome.

The third lesson is that of adaptability.  The tamale has only been able to service as a mainstay popular cuisine for thousands of years, it has been able to thrive throughout Latin American communities and beyond.  The numerous iterations that the tamale has experienced is due largely to the various cultures that embraced it as a staple in their traditional culinary repertoire.  In Mexico alone there have been multiple regions putting their own spin on the classic dish.  Beyond Mexico are the various regions in the countries of Belize, Guatemala, China, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Chile, Honduras, Colombia, the Philippines, and the United States.  It is because of the chameleon-like quality of the  tamale that  it was able to grow from a modest yet solid staple in the diets of Mesoamerican indigenous peoples to symbolic dishes of tradition, creativity, and resilience for many cultures around the world.  

    So, next time you bite into a tamale and taste the vast array of rich flavors, know that with  every bite you are not just tasting the delicious ingredients you are also experiencing the persistence, struggle, pride, tradition, inclusivity, and adaptability of history’s most celebrated Mesoamerican dish…or you could be simply enjoying a fulfilling meal.  It doesn’t always have to be that serious. But either way, enjoy. 

CITATIONS

1. Roush, Wade (9 May 1997). "Archaeobiology: Squash Seeds Yield New View of Early American Farming". Science. 276 (5314): 894–95.

2. Kitchen, Mesa. “The Ancient History of the Tamale The Ancient History of Tamales.” Mesa Mexican Cuisine, Mesa Mexican Cuisine, 24 June 2018, www.mesagrapevine.com/post/the-ancient-history-of-the-tamale-the-ancient-history-of-tamales.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.