It’s a hot day in East Los Angeles – the sun always feels hotter here – and I’m on the hunt for tamales. Although it’s not much of a challenge because East L.A. is a mecca of tamales. There are options everywhere.

L.A. in general is a tamal city. Before the taqueros, tamaleros owned the street food game here. And there are still so many great options that it makes it hard to maneuver and parse through the good, the bad, and the convenient. The lines to each tamaleria operate differently: some will have the expediency of a well-oiled machine; others, move glacially, and make you wait for these steamed corn treats.

Finding the right tamales around the holidays can seem daunting, but doing so is essential. If turkey means Thanksgiving then tamales are definitely Christmas. Tamales are also a marker of the end of the year, so think of this list as a reward for making it through 2018. We could all use a tamal.

La Mascota

2715 Whittier Blvd, Boyle Heights

Boyle Heights is good place to start for the classics. La Mascota has gotten much love. They are a bakery that also sells several tamales. The seasoning of the masa is wonderful and doesn’t have such a pronounced aftertaste of maíz. The mole tamal is light and herbal and the tamal rojo is moist and has a mellow spice to it.

Carniceria Uruapan

2100 East Cesar E Chavez, Boyle Heights

Just a short drive away is Carniceria Uruapan. They keep the tamales by the register, vaulted in an insulated chamber. If you walk to the back you can see giant vats of puffed corn, a result of nixtamal. The red pork tamal I got was plucked right from the steamer, as hot as the surface of the sun. The tamal is moist on the inside from the red sauce — their secret to combat the dryness.

Los Cinco Puntos



3300 East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Boyle Heights

Down the street is Los Cinco Puntos which has some fantastic tamales. The beef tamal rojo is slightly greasy and perfectly steamed. The red pork tamal takes the crown. Cinco Puntos specializes in pork, and so it is no surprise. I cannot stress enough: make sure to get a carnitas taco that’s topped with nopales and guac. It is heaven.

Tamales Liliana’s

4619 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue, East L.A.

If the classics don’t work for you, Liliana’s has a killer tamal verde – chicken in a spicy green salsa. Make sure you get there early because you’re guaranteed to wait.

La Indiana Tamales

1142 S Indiana St, East L.A.

If all else fails, La Indiana Tamales has fantastic tamales that are always piping hot and delicious.

The Tamale Shoppe

Smorgasburg, Row DTLA

Sundays

But L.A. is nothing if it does not challenge the norm. If you find yourself at Smorgasburg and feel like balling out, The Tamale Shoppe has some great tamales rojos that come all the way from Arizona. The tamale might be more expensive than most but it has no dry spots and the pork is well-seasoned.

Cosa Nueva

6728 Bright Ave, Whittier

Pop-ups at Local Fixture



You can find some of the new school tamales at Cosa Nueva, the new concept by Ted Montoya that pays homage to the past and present. They offer several different tamal options that you can pre-order, both traditional and specialty. Some of the specialty offerings include beer-braised short rib, duck confit, and pecan roasted squash. I tried the beef barbacoa tamales, which are smoky, beefy, and slightly spicy. It pairs perfectly with an egg.

Chichen Itza

3655 S Grand Ave C6, South Central

OK. You made it this far and want to try something you haven’t tried before. Chichen Itza has some of the best tamales in L.A. and they all come from Yucatan. The vaporcito is a beautiful concoction – a thin tamal with cochinita pibil (one of their specialties) steamed in banana leaves and topped with pickled red onions. The tamal horneado is a baked tamal so it has a crunchy exterior filled with seasoned chicken. It is served with a tomato based sauce that just might be Yucatan’s answer to a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Chef Hilberto told L.A. Taco that he uses finely ground masa, usually reserved for tortillas. The result is a smooth texture and mouthfeel.

La 27th Restaurante

1830 Pico Blvd # C, Pico Union

L.A. offers more than Mexican tamales. Central American enclaves in Pico Union have great tamales (or their versions). La 27th Restaurante Nicaraguense is one of them. Nicaragua’s version of a tamal is called a nacatamal, which looks like a square package tied together with butcher twine – a food present. As far as tamal standards go, it is massive. The masa is smooth and tastes of chicken stock. The pork is marinated in an achiote paste, slightly acidic, but moist and full of flavor. On top and inside the tamal, you’ll find some other carby goodness – starchy rice and potatoes. Make sure to wash it all down with a cacao drink that is like a chocolate horchata. This location is not for the carb-phobic.

Viva Los Cupcakes



Smorgasburg, Row DTLA

Sundays

If you’re looking for a sweet treat, Viva Los Cupcakes has a corn tamal with mole cupcake. The cake is made of corn and mimics the taste of a tamal. The mole is sweeter than most, with a hint of heat. The closest description is perhaps a chocolate tamal – sweet and slightly savory, but completely delightful.

If you have no other options, go to King Taco. It’s a gamble. But when they’re good, they’re good. Don’t @ me.

This post was originally published in December 2018.

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