Delicious tamales are one of the dishes that are always present in the Costa Rican diet. They are pieces of corn dough filled inside with a stew of meat and vegetables, and then wrapped in banana leaves to be steam-cooked, acquiring a delicious taste.
This dish is not exclusive to Costa Rican gastronomy, but it is very popular in Central America and South America, known by different names according to the country of origin; for example, in Venezuela it is known as hallacas, buns in Colombia, pastries in Puerto Rico and nacatamales in Nicaragua and Honduras.
Costa Rican tamales are usually filled with a stew made from pork, vegetables, sweet chili pepper, and coriander, truly a delight that you won't leave aside during Christmas dinner.
There is another variant of the traditional Costa Rican tamale, the famous roasted tamale, which is a slightly sweet dessert with a unique texture made with dough, sugar, cheese, eggs, sour milk, custard, coconut, and spices, being the perfect companion for those afternoons when we want to share a snack with friends and a good cup of coffee. This type of tamale is baked and it is very popular to serve it at Costa Rican parties, especially at Christmas and Holy Week, although nowadays it is very common to find them in any supermarket or bakery in the country.
The roasted tamale comes from Guanacaste, where it is common to obtain fresh ingredients derived from livestock, such as milk, cheese, etc. These tamales are made by families dedicated to selling them in small businesses, so it is convenient to support this type of initiative.
