Thousands flock to The Pearl for Tamales!

Jasmine Sisneros slides off of her sister Mikayla Sierra's back during the sixth annual Tamales Holiday Festival at the Pearl Brewery on December 5, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. Jasmine Sisneros slides off of her sister Mikayla Sierra's back during the sixth annual Tamales Holiday Festival at the Pearl Brewery on December 5, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Carolyn Van Houten Photo: Carolyn Van Houten Image 1 of / 131 Caption Close Thousands flock to The Pearl for Tamales! 1 / 131 Back to Gallery

There was no shortage of tasty tamales on Saturday at The Pearl, where the culinary concoction is celebrated each year.

Thousands of people herded into the confines of The Pearl to sample the tasty treat at the development’s sixth annual Tamales! festival, where more than 40 vendors slung all kinds of tamales — from traditional Tex-Mex ground beef tamales in corn husks to the Central American variety, wrapped in banana leaves.

For Diana Barrios Treviño, whose family owns several restaurants in San Antonio, tamales are about family tradition. She noted that the food is considered to be the “forgotten step-child until November rolls around.” But November through February, they’re the go-to celebratory treat around here.

Traditionally, families gather for a tamalada — where friends and families gather together, share stories and spend the day making dozens and dozens of tamales. It’s a labor-intensive effort, but well worth it, people say.

Amanda Hernández — who grew up west of San Antonio, in D-Hanis — recalled on Saturday fond memories of making tamales with her mother, grandmother and relatives. There would be hot chocolate, buñuelos and other things to eat and drink. They worked in the back yard while kids spent the day running around. Hernández said she was on a mission at the event.

“I’m trying to find a tamal like my mother and grandmother would make,” she said.

After sampling five, including one dessert tamal, she was still in search for that elusive tamal. As she crumpled the foil from a barbacoa tamal, Hernández lamented that the meat would have been better in a tortilla instead of masa. It was just missing something as is, she said.