Mississippi tamales

To make ends meet, he developed his own tamale recipe and set up shop on South Street in Cleveland, Mississippi. John credits his years as a foreman at D&L to his mastery of hot tamale production. With his son and daughter at his side, John fills and rolls about forty dozen shuck-wrapped tamales an hour. Soon, John hopes to standardize his recipe for manufacture and sell John’s Homestyle Hot Tamales in stores around the country.

Unlike Mississippi Delta tamales, Arkansas' version comes from a soul-food-meets-Italian-family tradition. In Lake Village, Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales and Pies fills the soft masa cylinders with chicken fat, beef and spices. Rhoda Adams and her family still pack them two dozen to a coffee can for those who want to take them home for freezing.

The history of the hot tamale in this area reaches back to at least the early part of the twentieth century.

There's a novel version of the tamale that is endemic to Mississippi. Learn how its making its way across the Magnolia State.

Tamale recipes vary from place to place, person to person. In the Mississippi Delta, no two people make hot tamales exactly the same.

Mississippi has its own version of tamales which are absolutely fabulously delicious! If you can't get to the Mississippi Delta to try these, then make them at home and enjoy!

Up until I made these for the first time, I had only enjoyed tamales when this little Hispanic woman would stop by to sell them to my mother. The masa was tender and the meat was spiced perfectly. I enjoyed those little foil packets of joy so much, that I almost lost it when I came across a base recipe for these Mississippi Delta tamales. I tweaked the spices to my liking, and the results will make your eyes roll back in your head. If you're interested in seeing me make them, here's the…

Similar to the Mexican tamale, this treasure is simmered, not steamed and served all over the state of Mississippi

Over the decades, various cultures put their spin on the tamale. These Mississippi Delta tamales are a Southern-American specialty

The famous fare is what put this eatery on the map, but it’s known just as much for its fun, festive atmosphere.