Among the first native Colombian dishes, it is quite serious because of its great variety depending on the region where it is prepared, a result of traditions, customs, trades, history, and celebrations in Colombia. Like Sunday breakfast, a day when the wife rests and the husband shines with his family by serving the traditional tamal with chocolate, which requires no preparation other than heating it up, and it's ready.
The best tamal in Colombia depends on whom you ask. If you ask someone from Tolima, they'll say it's the Tolima tamal; if you ask a Boyacense, they'll say it's from Boyacá. However, the most comercialized is the Tolima version. Keep in mind, though, that a tamal from southern Tolima isn't the same as one from northern Tolima, given the variety of climate and agricultural products or the occasion for which it’s enjoyed. From ingredients to the way it’s wrapped and the material used, there are differences, and that’s where the name comes from. 'Tamal' essentially refers to a mixture of various foods and meats combined with eggs, seasoned with exquisite spices, wrapped in hoja de cachaco (a type of leaf), tied at the top to form a ball with mold. It is an envelope; the word tamal derives from the Náhuatl tamalli, meaning wrapped.
Don't be surprised if you find one in a long, square, or triangular shape. The important thing is, if it's shaped as a tamal, you're less likely to burn yourself when serving.
The origin dates back to the indigenous peoples before the conquest, as described in the chronicles of San Bernardino in "The History of Things in New Spain," where indigenous people ate a masa (dough) wrap filled with meat from animals they hunted and spices.
Now, what is hoja de cachaco?
There are many varieties of plantain, among them the so-called Cachaco or Popocho, a small, thick plantain grown in the village of Totarco in the municipality of Coyaima in the department of Tolima, where the land produces the best hoja (leaf), becoming the main economic activity of the Pijao ethnicity. Using any other leaf isn't suitable because they are too tough, stain the tamal, and alter its flavor. Children help gather the leaves, which teaches them love for work and keeps them away from bad vices. The leaves are harvested in the morning or at 4 pm when they are well-opened, then quickly passed over fire, toasted as commonly said, and finally distributed to the Colombian cooking production sites.
For making the tamal, we need: maize from Antioquia, rice from Tolima, potatoes from Boyacá and Nariño, peas and carrots from Cundinamarca, eggs, chicken, and pork, along with hojas de popocho. The way this recipe has been passed down from generation to generation requires craftsmanship, care, love, patience, good taste, and respect for regional traditions.
For example, the Tolima tamal is prepared as follows: the meats are marinated beforehand; the next day, all ingredients are cooked and cooled. The masa is then placed on the cut, arranged leaves in a particular way to prevent water from seeping in. The masa, made with maize flour, rice, and peas, is spread on the leaves, along with two slices of potato, two of carrot, half a cooked egg, a piece of bacon, a piece of pork, a chicken breast, and two spoonfuls of stew. The leaves are then tied at the ends with string, and the tamales are steamed for two hours. They are typically served with arepas or bread, accompanied by a cup of frothy hot chocolate and cheese.
Happy Sunday breakfast!
