# Hormel tamales in a can **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2017, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074 "2017-08-08T09:08:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/101 "2018-01-28T21:00:35Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > This reader review is not encouraging: > > Amazingly, there are 140 5-star reviews. Those are probably from people in prison. I like how they’re just throwing them away. Gosh, never considered a food shelf donation? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/102 "2018-01-28T21:01:43Z")
I have a can my ex brought back from Florida for me. I’m going to bake them in a casserole dish smothered in Stagg (Hormel) chili and cheese, once I have some more room in my fridge. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/103 "2018-01-28T21:22:24Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I like how they’re just throwing them away. Gosh, never considered a food shelf donation? Do we really want to inflict these on people who probably have enough troubles already? > [@terentii](#): > > I have a can my ex brought back from Florida for me. I’m going to bake them in a casserole dish smothered in Stagg (Hormel) chili and cheese, once I have some more room in my fridge. There are only six small ones in a normal-sized can, so you won’t need a very big dish. Don’t forget to take the paper wrappers off before you put them in the casserole dish, But yes, by all means, smother them with cheese and chili. And more cheese. A few handfuls of crushed Fritos on top prolly wouldn’t hurt. And after they’re out of the oven, maybe some chopped fresh tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/104 "2018-01-28T21:47:04Z")
You can actually go on a road trip in eastern Arkansas, called the Tamale trail. It is a series of small diners that make their own style of Tamales. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/105 "2018-01-28T22:18:39Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > You can actually go on a road trip in eastern Arkansas, called the Tamale trail. It is a series of small diners that make their own style of Tamales. I want to go to that place. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/106 "2018-01-28T22:20:01Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I like how they’re just throwing them away. Gosh, never considered a food shelf donation? Exactly my thought. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/107 "2018-01-28T22:35:36Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Amazingly, there are 140 5-star reviews. Those are probably from people in prison. My favorite Amazon review: _a great product, will order more before it gets too cold outside… thanks, Jim_ Um, what? Maybe this person lives inside the Arctic Circle, and if you don’t order online before November, the UPS guy freezes into a glob halfway down your driveway. ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/108 "2018-02-01T21:49:20Z")
I have fond memories of Hormel tamales from camping trips way back in high school and college, and this thread inspired me to go buy a can and see if they were as tasty as I remembered. I tried to load the deck by covering them with Wolf Brand Chili, cheese, and onions, but they were still pretty bland. Not awful, but I don’t think I’ll be buying any more any time soon. No great loss; tamales have always been one of the less interesting Mexican dishes as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/109 "2018-02-01T22:41:22Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > WAIT! **pulykamell** these things aren’t using nixtamalized corn meal? Your cite doesn’t seem to back that claim up, but I’d be both personally offended by the manufacturer (c’mon how else is it a tamale) and firm in my belief in the southern tamale’s superiority if it were to be proven true. Do you have more info? Sorry, I missed this the first time around. What are you asking exactly? The “corn roll” tamales I’m talking about that they use in Chicago are made with cornmeal, not nixtamalized corn. There’s plenty of traditional tamales you can get here in Chicago, in fact, these days, the vast majority of them. But there are styles of tamales up the Mississippi that do not use nixtamalized corn. Please do not confuse them with Mexican-style tamales. They are different things. (Chicago tamales aren’t served like Mississippi delta tamales, but I’m assuming that’s where they get their provenance, as opposed to direct Mexican influence.) Look at the recipe, for instance, for [New Orleans style tamales](http://catholicfoodie.com/new-orleans-style-hot-tamales). They’re just basically meat that is dipped in cornmeal and cooked in a husk or wax paper and sauce. I’ve always thought the Hormel style of tamales was closer to trying to replicate this than a Mexican tamale. The Tamale Trail is part of this American-influenced tradition. Some use cornmeal; some use nixtamilized corn; some use husks; some use paper. There’s a wonderful website about these things [here](https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/hot-tamale-trail/). > [@](#): > > Tamale recipes vary from place to place, person to person. Pork is traditional. Some folks use beef, while others prefer turkey. Some boil their meat, while others simply brown it. Some people use masa, while most prefer the rough texture of corn meal. Most wrap in corn shucks, while a few have turned to parchment paper. Many season the meat and the meal, as well as the water used to simmer the rolled bundles. Some eat tamales straight out of the shuck, while others smother them in chili and cheese. Tamales from the Mississippi Delta are smaller than Latin-style tamales, are simmered instead of steamed, have a gritty texture from the use of corn meal instead of corn flour, have considerably more spice, and are usually served with juice that is the byproduct of simmering. Today, some cooks even fry their hot tamales. (In the Delta vernacular, the singular is, indeed, tamale, not the Spanish tamal.) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/110 "2018-02-01T23:25:29Z")
> [@Rough\_Draft](#): > > I have fond memories of Hormel tamales from camping trips way back in high school and college, and this thread inspired me to go buy a can and see if they were as tasty as I remembered. > > I tried to load the deck by covering them with Wolf Brand Chili, cheese, and onions, but they were still pretty bland. Not awful, but I don’t think I’ll be buying any more any time soon. > > No great loss; tamales have always been one of the less interesting Mexican dishes as far as I’m concerned. There is NO comparison whatsoever between Hormel canned tamales and authentic Texas tamales. Nor between canned chili and homemade chili. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/111 "2018-02-02T00:01:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There is NO comparison whatsoever between Hormel canned tamales and authentic Texas tamales. Nor between canned chili and homemade chili. Yeah, definitely do not base your opinion of tamales (or chili) as a general food category by your experience with Hormel. I mean, I actually like the stuff for what it is, but tamales are wonderful food in all their various incarnations. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/112 "2018-03-17T23:52:42Z")
I found cans of Hormel CHICKEN tamales at Dollar Tree, and after reading this thread, I could not resist buying two of them. I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/113 "2018-03-18T00:10:48Z")
I am not real sure about the chicken ones. It sounds iffy to me. Let’s us know. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/114 "2018-03-18T00:17:30Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I found cans of Hormel CHICKEN tamales at Dollar Tree, and after reading this thread, I could not resist buying two of them. > > I’ll report back. If we don’t hear from you in 24 hours, who would you like us to notify? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/115 "2018-03-18T11:45:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There is NO comparison whatsoever between Hormel canned tamales and authentic Texas tamales. Nor between canned chili and homemade chili. I would agree except that Texas hardly has a lock on tamales. [New Mexico](https://www.amazon.com/Dozen-New-Mexican-Chile-Tamales/dp/B00H2TV2BI), [Arizona](http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/10-best-places-for-tamales-in-metro-phoenix-6550043), and [California](https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33045-d852965-r170512112-Taqueria_El_Bajio-Santa_Barbara_California.html) all have their own versions and all are good. In Arizona, one variety I’ve not seen anywhere else is [green corn](http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/best-of/2000/food-and-drink/best-gourmet-mexican-restaurant-6465090) tamales. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/116 "2018-03-18T13:20:36Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I would agree except that Texas hardly has a lock on tamales. [New Mexico](https://www.amazon.com/Dozen-New-Mexican-Chile-Tamales/dp/B00H2TV2BI), [Arizona](http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/10-best-places-for-tamales-in-metro-phoenix-6550043), and [California](https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33045-d852965-r170512112-Taqueria_El_Bajio-Santa_Barbara_California.html) all have their own versions and all are good. In Arizona, one variety I’ve not seen anywhere else is [green corn](http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/best-of/2000/food-and-drink/best-gourmet-mexican-restaurant-6465090) tamales. Speaking as a Texan, sir, I cannot concur. However I will defend to the death (almost) your right to speak aloud (as it were) these falsehoods. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074/117 "2018-03-19T15:49:40Z")
Aw, c’mon! I ceeded brisket to you! (Mmmm, Texas brisket) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hormel-tamales-in-a-can/793074.md?page=5)