Food Service, And Beyond

When you visit virtually any authentic Mexican restaurant, you'll see a number of staples on the menu. The list of staples will often include the popular dishes of tacos, enchiladas, and nachos, but you can also expect to see other items. Tamales are a fixture at most Mexican eateries, and if you haven't previously enjoyed an order of this type of Mexican food, doing so can be a good idea during your next visit. The common trait of any type of tamale that you encounter is that it will feature various ingredients inside of a dough pocket that is cooked in a corn or banana leaf. If you enjoy eating with your hands, you'll have fun opening the leaf to reveal the food. Here are three tamales that you'll want to try.

Meat Tamales

You can expect to see all sorts of meat tamales on the menu at any Mexican restaurant. As is the case with other types of Mexican cuisine, chicken and beef are both popular options. Regardless of what meat you choose, you can expect that it will be filled with spices that are common in Mexican cooking, including garlic, cumin, and chili powder. You'll find meat tamales with various levels of spice. It's possible to order those that are very spicy, but you can also order something more moderate and add hot sauce before you take each bite.

Vegetable Tamales

Meat tamales can appear in different ways, but they commonly don't offer much in the way of vegetables other than occasional peppers and onions. If you follow a vegetarian diet or you're just looking for a meal that focuses heavily on veggies, you can commonly find vegetable tamales at various Mexican eateries. These tamales will feature combinations of different vegetables, all of which are seasoned with Mexican spices. Beans, corn, peppers, squash, and more are all common to find.

Sweet Tamales

If you have room for dessert after your main course, you might think about ordering sweet tamales. The dessert version of this popular dish can have all sorts of sweet fillings. Raisins, dried or fresh fruits, nuts, and other ingredients can appear in sweet dessert tamales. You'll sometimes find your plate of sweet tamales drizzled with caramel sauce, while some eateries will serve a small bowl of sauce in which you can dip your tamales before each bite. Visit a local Mexican eatery to try one or more types of tamales.