A traditional Mexican food made of masa (corn dough) spread on corn husks, filled with meat or vegetables, then steamed or boiled.
From Nahuatl (Aztec) 'tamalli' meaning wrapped or hidden food. The word was borrowed into Spanish as 'tamal' and then English as 'tamale/tamales' as the dish spread northward.
Tamales have pre-Columbian origins going back to the Aztecs, who prepared them for warriors on long journeys because they were portable, nutritious, and could be made in bulk—making them possibly the first military meal-prep in history.
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