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Re: [ranchos] Tamales


 
I have also thought of tamales - the supposedly Indian tradition that was passed through generations.  Did you know that food is the last thing to "go" in ethnic identity - which is why I should have become a food anthropologist - my passion for history and food...
 
Here's the question - when I make tamales, I use a lot of lard.  But lard comes from pork, which was really brought here from the Spanish - so now the "pure" Indian tamale got "mexicanized"!!! Has anyone ever come across tamales that were not made of lard - or is there a recipe out there that might have been more "indigenous" than I am aware of?  Or perhaps the indigenous used a different type of fat?
 
By the way, speaking of food and diet - has anyone considered that the typical diet of the indigenous people is what experts are saying is the best?  Vegetables, no fat, very little meat, etc? 
 
Esperanza