Christmas, Consumerism, and Traditions

[rodheadlee]

I was too broke to buy Christmas gifts.

[The Nehor]

59 minutes ago, rodheadlee said:

I was too broke to buy Christmas gifts.

But did you have tamales?

[Kenngo1969]

1 hour ago, rodheadlee said:

I was too broke to buy Christmas gifts.

Anybody who would hold that against you is the person with the problem, in my book.   I wish you and yours well this Christmas season. (In any event, the gifts we give positively pale in comparison to The One We Received. )

[rodheadlee]

2 hours ago, The Nehor said:

But did you have tamales?

No, we drove 150 mies and made Turkey dinner for my folks. Tacos tomorrow night. 

[Bernard Gui]

On 12/26/2020 at 3:05 PM, The Nehor said:

I think we invented the "no true tamale" fallacy.

I’m sure there are many fine tamales out there, even those unfortunately misnamed pineapple, cotton candy, watermelon or ginger and rhubarb tamales, but there is only one true tamale. If we want to get specific, it was  my sister’s mother-in-law Berta Martinez in Los Alamos/Santa Fe who made the one and only true tamale, using genuine gnarly Chimayo red chile’s dried in the blistering New Mexico sun, hanging from old piñon or pine vegas and doors jutting out from 400 year old adobe house walls in sleepy high desert Northern New Mexico villages, with masa made from the descendants of corn dating to the lost Anasazi,  ground and formed on ancient stone metates by beautiful abuelitas, with slow-cooked fresh pork slaughtered in traditional matanzas and cooked to perfection in cast iron cauldrons by mustachioed caballeros in black sombreros and boots, real Zorro outfits, and adorned with heavy silver and turquoise Navajo and Pueblo leather belts, hat bands, bolo ties, and old pistolas in ornamented holsters. Lovingly wrapped in husks and steamed in Pueblo pots over fragrant piñon and juniper coals  

Don’t get me wrong. There are many fine tamales out there; however, were tamales  movies, Berta’s would win every Oscar on the list. Since her passing a number of aspiring tamalerashave arisen to attempt the unachievable. Time will tell what level they may achieve. Excellent as they might be, those tamales from all other areas simply aren’t in the same tamale universe.

This true story will illustrate the difference. Once a very lucky man ate two of Berta’s only true Chimayo chile tamales. He swore that he would do anything if he could eat just one more. Unfortunately, there were none available except in a small adobe food shack in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains high above Santa Fe. He had to sell his home, dog, and old Chevy pickup, leave his family and buy a burro, but he knew the effort would be worth it, just to get one more  of Berta’s only true Chimayo Chile tamales. 

There were no roads to the shack, just a few poorly marked trails and goat tracks. After many days of arduous trekking, he found himself at the base of Baldy Peak, starving and near death, his burro exhausted and unable to continue, yet still having to climb another 5,000 feet to the high pass that led to the little meadow where the shack was located. But the thought of just one more of Berta’s only true Chimayo chile tamales gave him renewed strength and resolve to continue  

Hand over hand, clothes shredded and knees and fingers bloodied by sharp rocks and cholla cactus thorns, he made his way to the top of the pass. Looking down into the beautiful meadow, he caught a glimpse of the little adobe shack surrounded by beautiful golden aspens and stately alpine firs. A sign over the door read “Tamales.” With his last ounce of strength he crawled up to the shack and scratched feebly on the weathered door.

A little man with long black mustaches answered the door. “May I help you, compadre?” he asked. “Por favor, señor, give me just one of Berta’s only true Chimayo chile tamales.” “Lo siento, amigo.” said the man. “We just sold the last one.” “Qué lástima,“ he sighed. “Pues, do you have any Hatch?”

Edited December 28, 2020 by Bernard Gui

[Bernard Gui]

9 hours ago, bluebell said:

It looks like sweet tamales (tamales de dulces) were known anciently. One website claimed that different tamales were presented to different Aztec gods and that “the sweeter, more dessert tamales made with honey and bean were reserved for Xipe Totec, a deity of death and rebirth.”

Interesting stuff!

Pure mythology. 

[MiserereNobis]

1 hour ago, Bernard Gui said:

I’m sure there are many fine tamales out there, even unfortunately misnamed pineapple, cotton candy, watermelon or ginger and rhubarb tamales, but there is only one true tamale. If we want to get specific, it was  my sister’s mother-in-law Berta Martinez in Los Alamos/Santa Fe who made the one and only true tamale, using genuine gnarly Chimayo red chile’s dried in the blistering New Mexico sun, hanging from old piñon or pine vegas and doors jutting out from 400 year old adobe house walls in sleepy high desert Northern New Mexico villages, with masa made from corn dating from the lost Anasazi,  ground and formed on ancient stone metates by beautiful Spanish señoritas, with slow-cooked fresh pork slaughtered in traditional matanzas and cooked to perfection in cast iron cauldrons by mustachioed caballeros in black sombreros and boots, real Zorro outfits, and adorned with heavy silver and turquoise Navajo and Pueblo leather belts, hat bands, bolo ties, and old pistolas in ornamented holsters. Loving wrapped in husks and steamed in Pueblo pots over fragrant piñon and juniper coals  

Don’t get me wrong. There are many fine tamales out there; however, were tamales  movies, Berta’s would win every Oscar available. Since her passing a number of aspiring Northern makers have arisen to attempt the unachievable. Time will tell what level they may achieve. Excellent as they might be, those from all other areas simply aren’t in the same tamale universe.

This true story will illustrate the difference. Once a very lucky man ate two of Berta’s Chimayo chile tamales. He swore that he would do anything if he could eat just one more. Unfortunately, there were none available except in a small adobe food shack high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Santa Fe. He had to sell his home, dog, and car and leave his family, but he knew the effort would be worth it, just to get one more  of Berta’s Chimayo Chile tamales. 

There were no roads to the shack, just a few poorly marked trails and goat tracks. After several days of arduous trekking, he found himself at the base of Baldy Peak, his burro exhausted and unable to continue, but still having to climb another 5,000 feet to the high pass that led to the little meadow where the shack was located. But the thought of just one more of Berta’s Chimayo chile tamales gave him renewed strength and resolve to continue  

Hand over hand, clothes shredded and knees bloodied by sharp rocks and cholla cactus thorns, he made his way to the top of the pass. Looking down into the beautiful meadow, he caught a glimpse of the little adobe shack surrounded by beautiful golden aspens and stately alpine firs. With his last ounce of strength he crawled up to the shack and scratched feebly on the weathered door.

A little man with long black mustaches answered the door. “May I help you, compadre?” he asked. “Please, señor, give me just one of Berta’s Chimayo chile tamales.” “I’m so sorry, amigo.” said the man.  “We just sold it.” “Well,“ he replied, “do you have any Hatch?”

I love this board for many reasons. Let me add that there is a true New Mexican to the list. 

[Bernard Gui]

On 12/26/2020 at 10:10 PM, MiserereNobis said:

I love this board for many reasons. Let me add that there is a true New Mexican to the list. 

Gracias, amigo. I might note that I have not lived in New Mexico since 1972, but it has been impossible to remove the sand, piñon, sage, pastel landscapes, bright blue sky, towering thunderheads, roadrunners, mesas, blue snow capped mountains, and all the rest that makes it truly The Land of Enchantment from my soul. 

Edited December 28, 2020 by Bernard Gui