I didn't know where to put this since it's general and not a manufacturers question.
I was wonder, [b]in general[/b], if tamales are safe for PA.
I read in a previous thread that some people may put mole in them, which is not safe, but I'm wondering about generic, bare-basics tamales. Buy in the store or cheap-o fast food tamales.
A Mexican family joined our family for Christmas this year (cousin's boyfriend's family), and brought homemade tamales. My parents kept asking me if I wanted to try them (I never would because, hello, eating from strangers' kitchens are how PA people end up in the ER), but when I asked them what's usually in a tamale, they said maize and masa (mesa?) and beef. I don't even have a clue what two of the three are!
I'm not looking for specific brands or eateries, I'm just wondering if I see a jar in the store, if I should bother checking the ingredients or just walk on by because they're never safe.
Thanks [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
![http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]](http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]){kind=link}
hi starlight --- tamales, in general, are usually safe. People put all kinds of things in them. Chocolate tamales rock!
They are a base of masa flour (corn), some sort of broth/liquid, and corn oil. The perfect tamale consistency pre-cooking is "like peanut butter" --- but don't let that steer you away!
Then...folks make all kinds of tamales --- chocolate ones (but be careful if you are TNA b/c some mexican chocolate has almonds...and some put ground up nuts in the dessert ones), cilantro tamales, beef, pork, chicken, all sorts of spices, poblano, jalepeno, etc.
It's just not customary to put any sort of salsa or sauce in the tamale itself. Some will have a dipping sauce...but if you have to have a dipping sauce then the tamale isn't very good! Traditional tamales are eaten as-is out of the corn husk...no accoutrements needed!
So --- if you can get the specific ingredients out of the person who made them...then they are usually a safe item. Sorta like how a hamburger is a standby choice at restaurants...that's how I see tamales.
BTW --- you'd never buy them out of a jar [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] You should never buy them "fast food" unless you are at a quaint little taco/tamale stand and you know they are fresh.
Tamales are best (and should only be enjoyed) by those who take the care to make them the authentic way...you should sigh out "oh....goooood.....loooorrrrd....these are....(speechless)"
A bad tamale...is just...gross...
[img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] Feliz Navidad!
Adrienne
------------------
30-something survivor of severe peanut/tree nut allergy
My husband is mexican and spent hours and hours on Christmas Eve making Tamales for Christmas- hmmm so good! He made dozens and dozens of them- we've been eating tamales for days!
I just wanted to say I with Adrienne- never eat a tamale out of a can or frozen- they are really nasty! If you find a mexican restaurant that you are comfortable with you really should try them- they are my favorite!
They take so long to make, my husband probaly won't make anymore for months! We always say we are going to freeze a dozen or so but always eat them before that can happen!
Yummmm.
Maize is corn--so I'm guessing they were referring to the corn in the masa.
DS has eaten tamales safely--and before he was a vegetarian used to eat them more frequently.
In our neck of the woods they are typically pork (although our barbeque is always beef brisket--go figure). I do see spinach ones and beef ones and specialty ones. DS is PA, and we would avoid the chocolate ones because we only eat Hershey's and Vermont Nut Free chocolate. And we do see (and make) sweet potato tamales. Fab! Maybe before DS was PA we used pecans in those--can't remember. It's really the masa and sweet potatoes comingling that make that kind good anyway.
I would say nuts are a defnite rarity for tamales.
It's your comfort zone, though. If you are really not comfortable having something from someone else's kitchen, I wouldn't eat the tamales.
But I have let DS eat homemade ones before and tamales at a restaurant nearby. But that's my comfort zone and my desire for him to experience something wonderful where I trusted the source.
[This message has been edited by McCobbre (edited December 27, 2006).]
hi starlight --- tamales, in general, are usually safe. People put all kinds of things in them. Chocolate tamales rock!
They are a base of masa flour (corn), some sort of broth/liquid, and corn oil. The perfect tamale consistency pre-cooking is "like peanut butter" --- but don't let that steer you away!
Then...folks make all kinds of tamales --- chocolate ones (but be careful if you are TNA b/c some mexican chocolate has almonds...and some put ground up nuts in the dessert ones), cilantro tamales, beef, pork, chicken, all sorts of spices, poblano, jalepeno, etc.
It's just not customary to put any sort of salsa or sauce in the tamale itself. Some will have a dipping sauce...but if you have to have a dipping sauce then the tamale isn't very good! Traditional tamales are eaten as-is out of the corn husk...no accoutrements needed!
So --- if you can get the specific ingredients out of the person who made them...then they are usually a safe item. Sorta like how a hamburger is a standby choice at restaurants...that's how I see tamales.
BTW --- you'd never buy them out of a jar [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] You should never buy them "fast food" unless you are at a quaint little taco/tamale stand and you know they are fresh.
Tamales are best (and should only be enjoyed) by those who take the care to make them the authentic way...you should sigh out "oh....goooood.....loooorrrrd....these are....(speechless)"
A bad tamale...is just...gross...
[img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] Feliz Navidad!
Adrienne
------------------
30-something survivor of severe peanut/tree nut allergy
My husband is mexican and spent hours and hours on Christmas Eve making Tamales for Christmas- hmmm so good! He made dozens and dozens of them- we've been eating tamales for days!
I just wanted to say I with Adrienne- never eat a tamale out of a can or frozen- they are really nasty! If you find a mexican restaurant that you are comfortable with you really should try them- they are my favorite!
They take so long to make, my husband probaly won't make anymore for months! We always say we are going to freeze a dozen or so but always eat them before that can happen!
Yummmm.
Maize is corn--so I'm guessing they were referring to the corn in the masa.
DS has eaten tamales safely--and before he was a vegetarian used to eat them more frequently.
In our neck of the woods they are typically pork (although our barbeque is always beef brisket--go figure). I do see spinach ones and beef ones and specialty ones. DS is PA, and we would avoid the chocolate ones because we only eat Hershey's and Vermont Nut Free chocolate. And we do see (and make) sweet potato tamales. Fab! Maybe before DS was PA we used pecans in those--can't remember. It's really the masa and sweet potatoes comingling that make that kind good anyway.
I would say nuts are a defnite rarity for tamales.
It's your comfort zone, though. If you are really not comfortable having something from someone else's kitchen, I wouldn't eat the tamales.
But I have let DS eat homemade ones before and tamales at a restaurant nearby. But that's my comfort zone and my desire for him to experience something wonderful where I trusted the source.
[This message has been edited by McCobbre (edited December 27, 2006).]