Wrapped up in the season

HAVE you noticed? In recent years, more and more Southern California families are adding a bit of Latino spice to the mix of foods from around the world we embrace at this time of year. Alongside such Christmas favorites as plum pudding from Britain, panettone from Italy and gingerbread from Germany, we’ve added a heaping platter of hot, fragrant tamales.

Some of us have grown up with the tradition, of course. Tamales are year-round favorites in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. It seems that every country with a corn-based cuisine has some version of this pre-Hispanic food.

But the custom of making or ordering (especially ordering!) large batches of tamales to serve at high points during the season is spreading beyond the Latino community. Traditionally served at posada celebrations (commemorating Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter) on Christmas Eve after Mass and on Christmas Day, tamales are showing up at tree-trimming gatherings, office parties and, of course, open houses.

In tortillerias, delis, markets and cafes throughout L.A. (including the San Fernando Valley) and Orange County, we found excellent examples of regional Mexican (Sinaloan, Oaxacan, Yucatecan) tamales as well as Salvadoran and Nicaraguan versions. Some are filled with meat, cheese, beans or vegetables; others are made simply with fresh corn. Some tamales are wrapped in dried corn husks, others in fresh husks or banana leaves. Sweet tamales, with ingredients such as raisins, pineapple and nuts, are as essential during the holidays as Christmas cookies.

It’s advisable to place orders as soon as possible. However, some shops sell only on a first-come, first-serve basis. Demand is so great you’ll even find spots that stay open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

*

Los Angeles

Chichen Itza. This stall in Mercado La Paloma sells Yucatan-style tamales, including several steamed in banana leaves. Sweet tamales include chocolate masa with fresh strawberries and one flavored with coconut and pineapple. $16.50 a dozen; fresh corn tamales with Jack cheese and poblano chile strips, $27.50 a dozen. 3655 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, Stall C-6. (213) 741-1075. Open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day. Order two days in advance.

El Nido Restaurant. Here’s the place to go for the Nicaraguan nacatamal, a large bundle of pork, rice, potatoes, peppers, raisins, olives and capers in corn masa, wrapped in banana leaves. $5 each. 2116 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 939-6506. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Closed Christmas Day.

Gallegos Mexican Deli. This deli grinds its own masa and offers a full complement of traditional savory meat tamales as well as a vegetarian fresh corn, cheese and green chile version and sweet tamales such as raisin-nut, dulce de leche and an unusual one made of fresh pumpkin ground with the masa. Savory tamales, $1.90. Sweet, $1.25. 12470 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista. (310) 391-2587. Open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday. Closed Christmas Day. Deadline for Christmas orders is Monday.

La Conquistadora. Corn for the masa is cooked and ground here, and the tamales are made by hand. Varieties include pork, beef or chicken with red chile salsa, cheese with green chile and sweet tamales with raisins and pineapple. $13 a dozen. 5401 N. Huntington Drive, Los Angeles (El Sereno). (323) 342-0202. Open daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Order at least two days in advance.

La Fama Panaderia. Seventy-year-old La Fama sells first-rate pan dulce, but also offers chicken, pork and chile-cheese tamales. $1.20 each. 420 N. Ford Blvd., East Los Angeles. (323) 265-4587. Open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas.

La Mascota Bakery. This bakery is known both for pan dulce and tamales, which include chicken with green chile, cheese with green chile, pork with red chile, and a sweet tamale with pineapple and raisins. $1.25; $15 a dozen. 2715 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 263-5513. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. No advance orders. Closed Christmas.

La Morenita Bakery. The mini tamales here are nice for appetizers. Tamale maker Virginia Oros from San Luis Potosi uses her own recipes and prepares the stone-ground mas with your choice of lard, oil or shortening. Regular tamales, $1.10 to $1.35 each; mini tamales, $1 each. Discounts on orders of more than 10 dozen. 1157 Cypress Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 222-7953. Open 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including Christmas Day.

Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe. The season’s featured tamale is shredded turkey with Oaxacan black mole, wrapped in banana leaves. But you can choose from among 15 tamales on each day’s menu or from more than 60 variations available to order. $2.25 to $3 each. 2124 W. 7th St., Los Angeles. (213) 487-7474. Takeout orders, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Large orders and specials must be ordered a week in advance. Minimum order for specials is three dozen. Closed Christmas.

Panaderia El Salvador. This Salvadoran bakery makes a red bean tamale called pisque and a chicken tamale with potatoes and mild red sauce in an exceptionally fine, silky masa. The chicken and bean tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and cost $1. Plain fresh-corn tamales in dried corn husks are $1. 25. 4015 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 665-5890. Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas.

Sandra’s and Lolita’s Tamales. Tamales sold here are pork with red or green chile; beef with red chile; chicken with red chile; cheese with green chile and a sweet tamale with pineapple and raisins. $12 a dozen, $13 on Christmas Day. 5390 Whittier Blvd., East Los Angeles. (323) 722-2961. Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Opens 6 a.m. Christmas Day for a few hours. No advance orders.

Tamales Liliana’s. People come from long distances to buy tamales here. Flavors include pork with red or green chile, chicken with vegetables, chile strips with cheese, fresh corn, and sweet raisin and pineapple. $1.25 each; $14 a dozen. 4629 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., East Los Angeles. (323) 780-0989. Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Christmas.

Tamara’s Tamales. The special this Christmas is a Sinaloa-style chicken tamale with potatoes, zucchini, carrots, jalapenos, raisins, tomato and a mild red chile sauce. $2.25 each; $25 a dozen. Other tamales range from $1.45 to $6.25 (king crab). Order at least two days in advance. 13352 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 305-7714. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Open Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.

Zamora Brothers Carnitas. This meat shop and tortilleria sells tamales of chicken in green sauce, beef in red chile, pork in green sauce and cheese with green chile. $1 each. 4771 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 264-1214. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Christmas.

*

San Fernando Valley

Carrillos Deli. Meats, salsas and masa are prepared on-site for pork, beef and chicken tamales in red chile salsa as well as a sweet tamale with raisins and pineapple in cinnamon-flavored masa. $1.41 each; $16.83 a dozen. 1242 Pico St., San Fernando. (818) 365-1636. Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Open Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day. Deadline for Christmas orders is Thursday.

Gourmet Tamale Factory. You can sit here and eat tamales as well as buy them to go. The fillings are beef, chicken, pork and cheese with green chile, also fresh corn and a sweet pineapple tamale. Wrapped in fresh corn husks, they’re $1.80 each; $9.90 a half dozen; $19.40 for a dozen. 119 N. Maclay Ave., San Fernando. (818) 837-3524. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Graciana Tortilla and Tamale Factory. The tamale selection includes chicken, pork, beef, vegetable and chile-cheese in masa ground at the factory. $9.25 a dozen. 12239 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar. (818) 897-2079. Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Order a day in advance.

Restaurante Guatemala. You’ll find Guatemalan-style pork or chicken tamales wrapped in banana leaves at this restaurant. $2.25 each. 5528 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 762-0654. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Christmas Day.

*

Other cities

Amapola Super Deli and Market. This large market has a deli section to buy tamales and a tortilleria for prepared masa, including special masa for sweet tamales. There are beef, chicken and pork tamales with red chile, a cheese tamale with spicy green chiles, and a sweet pineapple chile. $1.15 each; $11.99 a dozen. 7420 E. Florence Ave., Downey. (562) 776-0246. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Christmas.

Las Manos Tortilleria Tamaleria y Restaurante. Try the delicious chicken tamales with a mild red chile sauce. Others include pork with red sauce, cheese with green chile, elote (fresh corn), and a sweet pineapple tamale. $1 each; $11 a dozen. 2513 E. Florence Ave., Huntington Park. (323) 581-8562. Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas.

*

Orange County

Carniceria Las Flores. This meat shop sells chicken and pork tamales with either red or green chile. $1.25 each. 13824 Red Hill Ave., Tustin. (714) 505-3059. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Closed Christmas.

El Toro Carniceria and Tortilleria. The tortilleria, which is an annex to the meat market, sells chicken and pork tamales, also sweet tamales flavored with pineapple or strawberry. $1.59 each. 1340 W. 1st St., Santa Ana. (714) 836-1393. Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Place large orders in advance. Closed Christmas.

Sarinana Tamale Factory. The corn for the masa is cooked and ground on the premises, and the seasonings and meats are prepared from scratch. Beef tamales, $1.50. Chicken, pork and sweet tamales, $1.25. The best seller is the pork tamale in red chile sauce. 2218 W. 5th St., Santa Ana. (714) 558-8650. Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Open Christmas Day. Order at least two days in advance.