Tamal de elote: what it is and how to make it

What is it?

The sweetcorn tamale is a sweet and very fluffy version of the Mexican tamale. Instead of nixtamalised maize dough it is made with whole kernels of tender sweetcorn (fresh, unripe maize) ground in a metate, blender or processor, mixed with butter, sugar, a little flour, milk and sometimes fresh cheese. It is wrapped in the corn cob's own green leaf and steamed. It is typical of Michoacan, Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz and many maize-growing regions where the harvest of tender sweetcorn (July to October) coincides with its best season. It is served as an afternoon treat, dessert or breakfast accompanied by coffee, hot chocolate, cream or plain atole.

Origin and history

The sweetcorn tamale has direct pre-Hispanic roots: tender sweetcorn (fresh maize) was eaten by the Mesoamerican peoples since pre-Columbian times in preparations called elotlaxcalli and tamalli de elote. Friar Bernardino de Sahagun already mentions these sweet tamales of tender cob in the 16th century. After the arrival of the Spanish, milk, butter and sugar were added, giving rise to the current, sweeter version. Directo al Paladar and Infobae document how in Michoacan and Guerrero the sweetcorn tamale is a seasonal food that appears in July when farmers begin to harvest tender cobs and becomes a street offering until October. Excelsior details that the sweet sweetcorn tamale is also known as uchepo in Michoacan, although there the dough has no sugar and is served with cream and cheese.

Characteristic ingredients

The ideal maize is tender white or yellow corn, freshly harvested, with a soft, milky kernel when pressed. It is stripped from the cob and ground raw in a blender or metate to a fine paste; some recipes strain it lightly. It is mixed with soft butter (not lard, except in the Michoacan versions), sugar to taste (between 1/3 and 1/2 cup per kilo of maize), a pinch of salt, baking powder and, optionally, evaporated or condensed milk to enrich it. Some variants add ground cinnamon, vanilla essence, raisins or fresh cheese to contrast with the sweetness. They are wrapped in the fresh green leaves of the cob (totomoxtle), which keep moisture and aroma. They are steamed for 50 to 70 minutes, until the dough comes away easily from the leaf. The final texture should be tender, slightly grainy and very fragrant.

Cultural significance

The sweetcorn tamale is a fundamental part of seasonal Mexican maize cooking and celebrates the agricultural cycle of tender maize. In Michoacan, the uchepo (its local relative) is Cultural Heritage of the state and appears at gastronomic fairs such as the Feria del Uchepo in Tarimbaro. In Guerrero, sweetcorn tamales are sold in markets such as those of Tixtla and Chilpancingo during the rainy season, when the milpas give their young-cob harvest. The preparation brings whole families together: stripping cobs and grinding maize in a metate is a collective activity. For the Nahua, P'urhepecha, Mixtec and present-day Nahua peoples, the sweetcorn tamale is also a ritual food offered at harvest celebrations (July and August), symbolising gratitude to the earth. UNESCO included Mexican maize cuisine as Intangible Heritage in 2010, and the sweetcorn tamale is one of its most living representatives.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a sweetcorn tamale and an uchepo?

The sweetcorn tamale is usually sweet, contains sugar, butter and sometimes condensed milk, and is served as a dessert or afternoon treat. The uchepo is from Michoacan, has no sugar (only maize, salt and a touch of milk), and is served savoury with cream, fresh cheese and green salsa. Both are made with ground tender maize, but the uchepo is more rustic and eaten as a main dish.

Where does the sweetcorn tamale come from?

The sweetcorn tamale is pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican and is made throughout Mexico's maize belt: Michoacan, Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, the State of Mexico and Chiapas. In Michoacan it is the uchepo, in Oaxaca it has regional variants, and in central Mexico it is sold sweet with sugar. Its exact origin is lost in pre-Columbian times; Sahagun already documents it in the 16th century.

What does the sweetcorn tamale taste like?

It tastes of fresh tender maize, butter and vanilla. It has a moderate sweetness, almost like a light cake, and a fluffier, more crumbly texture than a tamale of nixtamalised dough. The aroma of the freshly ground raw maize is very distinctive: sweet, milky and herbal. The green cob leaf adds a subtle perfume of fresh grass that sets it apart from tamales wrapped in dried maize husk.

How is the sweetcorn tamale served?

It is served warm, open on the green leaf, as an afternoon treat or dessert. The classic way accompanies it with a drizzle of thick cream, crumbled fresh cheese and, optionally, cajeta or honey. Others prefer it with clay-pot coffee, hot chocolate or maize atole. In Guerrero it is eaten with slightly soured cream; in Mexico City and Puebla it is preferred plain or with condensed milk on top.