I have also thought of tamales - the supposedly Indian tradition that was
passed through generations.  Did you know that food is the last thing to
"go" in ethnic identity - which is why I should have become a food
anthropologist - my passion for history and food...

 

Here's the question - when I make tamales, I use a lot of lard.  But
lard comes from pork, which was really brought here from the Spanish - so now
the "pure" Indian tamale got "mexicanized"!!! Has anyone ever come across
tamales that were not made of lard - or is there a recipe out there that might
have been more "indigenous" than I am aware of?  Or perhaps the indigenous
used a different type of fat?

 

By the way, speaking of food and diet - has anyone considered that the
typical diet of the indigenous people is what experts are saying is the
best?  Vegetables, no fat, very little meat, etc? 

 

Esperanza