Houston-area tamale fans will likely be entranced by James Coney Island’s newest hot dog creation, which fuses a traditional tamale and a Kielbasa sausage.

With the holiday season in full swing and families getting together, tamales are on the brains and in the bellies of many Houstonians.

Just introduced into all 20 James Coney Island locations, the $5.99 “tamale dog” is a sizable Kielbasa sausage surrounded by locally sourced masa and topped with beef chili, shredded cheddar and minced onions. The Kielbasa comes from Slovacek Sausage in Snook, northwest of Houston.

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James Coney Island, founded in 1923 by Greek immigrant brothers, has never shied away from infusing a little fresh air into its menu items. In 2013 they got some of Houston's top food names to create a line of limited-edition gourmet hot dogs.

James Coney Island’s Michelle Holmes said Wednesday that it took a few tries for the hometown brand to find the right masa for the menu item.

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"The recipe come from one of our store managers, Josefina Racancoj, and is made here locally by Henry Riojas of Henry's Dream Distribution," Holmes said.

Earlier this year the Texas Rangers baseball team unveiled a similar item – the TamArlington Dog -- at Globe Life Park in Arlington just in time for postseason play.

Holmes said that since the tamale dog is so new they haven’t been able to track sales, so she couldn’t say how long the item will be on the James Coney Island menu.

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In Chicago, a common fast food item is the mother-in-law sandwich, which is a Chicago-style tamale topped with chili and served inside a hot dog bun. In Chicago tamales are closer to hot dogs on the fast food map, making what Houston’s James Coney Island is doing not so strange, although the use of the Kielbasa is a marked change from what is common up north.

The way that tamales changed the farther they were exported from Mexico by migrant workers is a story for another day.