Tamalera: what it is, the types and how to use it for tamales

What is it?

The tamalera is the traditional Mexican steamer pot, designed specifically for steaming tamales. It consists of a tall pot, generally made of aluminium or enamelware, with a rack or false bottom sitting some 5-10 cm above the base. Water is placed beneath the rack and, as it boils, it generates steam that cooks the tamales stood upright above it. The tall, narrow shape is functional: it allows plenty of tamales to be arranged standing up, making the most of every bit of space. Tamaleras range in capacity from domestic versions of 8-15 litres to large pots of 40-80 litres used in tamalerías and at events. A good tamalera is indispensable for making tamales at home and forms part of the standard cookware of many Mexican households. Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria, 2 February) is the date that gathers families around freshly made tamales cooked in a tamalera.

Origin and history

Steaming tamales is a pre-Hispanic practice, documented in codices and chronicles as a Mexica, Maya, Mixtec and Zapotec tradition. Originally, tamales were cooked in clay pots with a false bottom made of leaves or branches, set over the three-stone hearth (tenamaxtli). In the sixteenth century, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún described the many types of tamales the Mexica steamed, and their importance in banquets, offerings and everyday life. The transition to metal pots for tamales took place during the nineteenth century and became established in the twentieth with the mass production of aluminium and enamelware. Mexican brands such as Vasconia, Cinsa and Ekco have manufactured tamaleras industrially since the mid-twentieth century. Larousse Cocina and the Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana document the tamalera as an essential utensil of contemporary Mexican cooking. Professional tamalerías and those of the Centrales de Abasto wholesale markets use large-format tamaleras that turn out hundreds of tamales per shift.

Characteristic ingredients

Tamaleras have a design specific to steam cooking: a tall pot 30-60 cm high, 25-45 cm in diameter, with a tight-fitting lid and an internal rack 5-10 cm above the base. The most common materials are cast aluminium (light, heat-conductive, affordable), enamelware (enamelled steel, durable, rust-resistant) and stainless steel (premium, long-lasting). Traditional artisan versions may be made of thick clay, especially for Oaxacan tamales cooked in a large cazuela. Correct use goes as follows: fill the bottom with water to just below the rack (3-5 cm); place a circle of corn husks or banana leaves over the rack; arrange the tamales vertically (opening upwards for small tamales, or lying flat for large ones); cover them with more leaves to hold in the moisture; put the lid on; and steam over a medium heat for 1-2 hours depending on size. A coin dropped in the bottom helps you know when the water has run out: when it stops rattling, it is time to add more boiling water.

Cultural significance

The tamalera is a fundamental utensil in Mexican homes and forms part of central gastronomic traditions. Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria, 2 February) marks the moment in the year when millions of families make tamales: whoever found the figurine in the rosca de Reyes on 6 January treats everyone to tamales, and the tamalera is fired up to produce them by the dozen. At Día de Muertos, tamales cooked in the tamalera are placed as offerings on altars. At weddings, quinceañeras, christenings and celebrations of every kind, tamales are the traditional fare, cooked in large tamaleras. Traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, includes steaming in the tamalera as a fundamental technique. Street tamalerías and tamale sellers on bicycles are a characteristic urban phenomenon, with thousands of tamales prepared in industrial tamaleras feeding Mexican breakfast-goers every morning. The tamalera has travelled with the Mexican diaspora to the United States, Europe and Asia.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a tamalera and an ordinary steamer?

The tamalera is a distinctively tall, narrow pot with an internal rack, designed to hold tamales upright. Ordinary steamers are shorter and wider, intended for vegetables or fish in individual baskets. The tamalera's shape is functional for tamales: it maximises vertical space and keeps the moisture concentrated inside.

What does a tamal cooked in a traditional tamalera taste like?

The flavour comes from the tamal itself (the masa, the filling, the wrapper), not from the tamalera. What proper steaming contributes is texture: masa that is firm yet soft, with no raw or crumbly patches. Overcooked, they can turn sticky; undercooked, the masa stays raw. A well-used tamalera produces tamales cooked to the perfect point.

How do you set up a tamalera correctly?

Fill the bottom with water to about 3-5 cm below the rack, drop a clean coin in the base (it lets you hear when the water runs out), line the rack with corn husks or banana leaves, stand the tamales upright with the opening facing up, cover them with more leaves and a cloth, put the lid on and steam over a medium heat for 60 to 90 minutes depending on size.

Where does the tamalera come from?

Steaming tamales originated in Mesoamerica, with pre-Hispanic evidence going back more than 2,000 years. The modern metal tamalera became popular in Mexico during the twentieth century. Today tamaleras are manufactured mainly in states such as the State of Mexico, Aguascalientes and Jalisco, where brands like Vasconia and Cinsa produce them for the whole country and for the Mexican diaspora abroad.