Tamales de Bola Chiapanecos (Round Chiapas Tamales with Black Mole and Chicken)

History & Origin

Tamales de bola are the most characteristic and recognisable form of Chiapas tamales, radically distinguishing them from the elongated tamales of central and northern Mexico. Their descriptive name comes from their spherical shape, achieved by folding the banana leaf into a round parcel tied with strips of the same leaf. This technique is a direct inheritance from the Maya and Zoque cultures that inhabited Chiapas before the Spanish conquest, who already prepared round tamales as ceremonial offerings and ritual foods. The most traditional filling is Chiapas black mole with chicken or turkey, though versions with chilli strips, chipilín herb or black beans also exist. The masa for tamales de bola is more moist than that of other tamales, which together with the banana leaf wrapping gives them a silky texture and characteristic smoky flavour. In San Cristóbal de las Casas, Comitán and the Tzotzil villages of the Highlands, tamales de bola are an essential presence at patron saint festivals, Christmas and New Year. Expert tamaleras can make hundreds of tamales de bola in a single session, passing down this ancestral technique to their children and grandchildren as a living cultural heritage.