VENTURA : Exploring the ‘Tamale Mystique’

Holding a tiny, white string, Lynn McMahan carefully tried to tie the ends of a fresh beef tamale she had just made.

But despite her efforts, she poked a hole on the cornhusk, allowing the beef and chile colorado sauce to spill onto a tray.

“It’s truly a technique to tie the knot,” said the Ventura woman, who on Friday attended a how-to-make-a-tamale demonstration at the Joannafinas Mexican Cafe in Ventura. “But I think with practice, I could learn how to do it.”

More than 100 people attempted to make tamales and tie the delicate knots during the demonstration at the restaurant, which is known for the holiday treats.

“There is a mystique about how tamales are made. That’s one of the reasons we decided to hold the event,” said Joana Lopez-Rojas, who owns the eatery with her husband, Delfino.

As a mariachi band composed entirely of children played Mexican tunes, dozens of patrons followed the instructions of chefs Aida Lagunas and Elma Montoya to make the sometimes spicy, sometimes sweet dish.

“First you smooth four ounces of the masa [corn dough] onto the cornhusk,” said Lagunas. “Then you put the filling on the top of the masa .”

That is followed by wrapping and tying the ends of the cornhusk with strings, Lagunas said. Then the tamales are steamed for 45 minutes to an hour.

Although ready-made masa is available in some Mexican markets, Lopez-Rojas said that at Joannafinas, they make it from scratch.

“It tastes better and is more original,” she said, adding that Lagunas and Montoya had prepared the corn dough earlier Friday.

Delfino Lopez-Rosa, who is from Mexico, said it is a tradition for families to make tamales when they have large gatherings, particularly around the holidays.

“Because it takes a lot of work to make them, each family brings one of the ingredients for the tamales,” he said. “One family brings the masa , another brings the filling while others bring the sauce.”

Although the tradition continues in Southern California, many families no longer make the delicacy at home, he said. Joannafinas sold 6,500 tamales between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year.