In many Oakland homes, Thanksgiving is more about tamales than turkey

In Oakland, as in many parts of the country, winter brings gloomy days, chilly  temperatures and the beginning of tamale season, which kicks off unofficially on Thanksgiving. 

In Mexico the dish is popularly served during the month of December at holiday parties known as “Las Posadas.”

In homes across Oakland, steam permeates out of big stainless steel pots this time of year, converting kitchens into saunas. Dew on walls will drip around depictions of “The Last Supper” overlooking dinner tables. All week, and especially on Thanksgiving, generations of family will come together to enjoy this delicious dish.

La Finca Tortilleria, on Foothill Boulevard in East Oakland is where many families start their tamale journey. The Mexican grocery store has been owned and operated by the Rocha family since 1983. They mill and process corn there, turning it into “la masa,” which they sell in big bags to customers who know they are getting something authentic. 

Outside of the store, Maria Bonrostro, who is from La Palma Michoacan in Mexico said “I began making tamales with my sisters when I was 7 years old. Now I make them with my children, because it’s a beautiful tradition and it shouldn’t be lost.” 

The tamale is a warm, hearty meal typically consumed for breakfast. Masa, which is corn finely ground into a doughy consistency, is spread on a corn husk or banana leaf, with chicken, pork, or beef fillings or a vegetable mix. In Mexico alone there are 500 different varieties. They can be savory or sweet, in a sauce or dry. The tamale is as diverse as the Hispanic communities in the Bay Area that keep this tasty tradition alive.

Bonrostro said her recipe was passed down by her grandparents. “Our tamales are simple but very delicious. We have sweet or savory; we have a big variety.” 

The process from beginning to end, which includes preparing the filling, will take her about four hours. She expects to make about 60 tamales for Thanksgiving. 

“We’re a big family, everyone is involved in the process, my kids, my nieces, my sisters.” Bonrostro added. “The tamale is made with love, so every tamale that is served comes from family unity and love.”

Olga Navarro from El Salado Sinaloa, Mexico, makes tamales from a recipe passed down from her grandmother, and for decades, sold them to restaurants and stores in San Francisco.

 “Making tamales is a lot of hard work,” Navarro said. “The most I’ve ever made during the holiday season was around 2,000 one December.”  

She stopped selling tamales a couple of years before the pandemic. “It just got too tiring, and my parents got older so I didn’t have the help I needed to keep up,” she said. Navarro agreed to share parts of her process but said she will not share her family recipe:

Salt and other seasonings are folded into the masa, turning it orange. Navarro kneads the masa until it no longer sticks to the palm of the hand. While she does this, a deep red guisado (filling) with a variety of chilis, seasonings, vegetables and shredded chicken is simmering on the stove. At the table, corn husks are painted with the now orange masa, and the guisado is scooped and laid gently in the middle of the masa-covered corn husk. Both ends are tied up with knots using thin strips of corn husk. “That’s how we do it in El Salado,” she said. 

The tamales then go in a stainless steel pot, where steam finishes cooking the masa. Finally it is time to lift the lid, as a cloud of steam instantly rises, and an intoxicating aroma fills the room. Once the plate is served, tamale lovers begin the difficult task of undressing the scorching tamale to enjoy the flavor of this traditional dish. 

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