Tamales canarios: the sweet rice-flour tamales from Michoacan

What is it?

Tamales canarios are one of the most distinctive sweet tamales of the Mexican repertoire, originally from Michoacan. Their name comes from the characteristic golden-yellow colour, similar to a canary's, which they acquire thanks to the incorporation of egg yolks in the masa. Unlike most Mexican tamales, which are made with nixtamalised maize masa, tamales canarios are made with rice flour combined with wheat flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks and whites beaten to soft peaks, raisins, milk and baking powder. The resulting masa is fluffy and slightly sweet, similar to a sponge cake steamed. They are wrapped in dried maize husks and steamed for about 1 hour. They are sweet tamales served as dessert or as an afternoon snack, ideal to accompany coffee, hot chocolate or atole. They are typical of Michoacan markets, especially in Morelia, Patzcuaro and Uruapan, where they are sold fresh at dawn every day.

Origin and history

Tamales canarios are a mestizo creation developed during the Colonial period, fusing the pre-Hispanic technique of the tamale (masa wrapped and steamed) with European ingredients such as wheat flour, rice flour, butter, egg and sugar. Their origin is attributed to the conventual and landed kitchens of Michoacan, particularly Morelia (then called Valladolid), during the 17th and 18th centuries. The nuns of the Michoacan convents, expert in European baroque baking, adapted the native tamale technique to their European culinary traditions, giving rise to sweet tamales such as the canarios. Master chef Ricardo Munoz Zurita documents them in the Diccionario Enciclopedico de Gastronomia Mexicana. Chef Zahie Tellez and Larousse Cocina have published modern traditional recipes. They form part of Michoacan cuisine, the core of Traditional Mexican Cuisine recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2010, where Michoacan was the culinary model representative of the entire country at the international recognition.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for tamales canarios combines rice flour (the star ingredient) with wheat flour, butter at room temperature, sugar, egg yolks (which give the canary-yellow colour), egg whites beaten to soft peaks, evaporated or whole milk, baking powder and raisins. It is important to beat the butter and sugar well to cream them, incorporate the yolks one by one, add the sifted flours alternated with the milk, and finally the whites with folding movements to keep the air. Raisins (the classic) or pine nuts, walnuts or flaked almonds are added in some versions. The masa is poured onto previously rehydrated dried maize husks, carefully wrapped and steamed for 50-60 minutes. Regional variants: in Morelia they are preferred with plenty of raisins and a touch of cinnamon; in Patzcuaro they include walnuts; in Uruapan they are served with pineapple jam on top. The consistency should be fluffy and light, similar to a sponge cake, with moderate sweetness in every bite.

Cultural significance

Tamales canarios are one of the most representative sweet tamales of Michoacan cuisine and of traditional Mexican baking. Their consumption is concentrated in Michoacan (Morelia, Patzcuaro, Uruapan, Tlalpujahua) but has spread to Mexico City and other urban centres thanks to the prestige of Michoacan cuisine. They are typical at Michoacan markets such as the Mercado de Dulces in Morelia, where traditional tamaleras sell them fresh every dawn. SECTUR promotes them as a cultural tourism product of Michoacan, and they appear at gastronomic festivals such as the Tamale Fair in Mexico City (held every February around Candlemas). Traditional cooks such as Carmen Titita Ramirez Degollado, Zahie Tellez and Margarita Carrillo Arronte have documented and promoted them. They form part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010 with Michoacan as a representative model. On 2 February, Candlemas, Mexicans consume tamales in massive quantities as an ancestral family cultural tradition.

Frequently asked questions

Why are they called tamales canarios?

Their name comes from the characteristic golden-yellow colour of the masa, similar to a canary's plumage, which they acquire thanks to the abundant incorporation of egg yolks. It is an evocative visual association that became established in Michoacan cuisine of the 18th-19th centuries. Some authors also link the name with the Canary Islands due to the Canarian-Andalusian baking influence that arrived through the Mexican colonial convents.

What is the difference between tamales canarios and regular sweet tamales?

Regular sweet tamales are made with nixtamalised maize masa, while canarios use rice flour combined with wheat flour, giving a fluffier and lighter sponge-cake-type texture. In addition, canarios incorporate abundant egg yolks and beaten whites that produce an airy masa, characteristics that distinguish them from the classic sweet tamale made with traditional maize masa.

What are tamales canarios served with?

They are traditionally served with café de olla, Mexican hot chocolate (with cinnamon), masa or chocolate atole, or hot milk. They are ideal as a dessert, afternoon snack or sweet breakfast, similar to a fluffy sweet bread. In some versions from Uruapan they are served with pineapple jam on top as an indulgent complement. They are typical to accompany the hot chocolate of the cold Michoacan winter.

Where are tamales canarios originally from?

They are native to the state of Michoacan, with main presence in Morelia (capital), Patzcuaro, Uruapan and Tlalpujahua. Their origin is mestizo colonial: they emerged in the conventual and landed kitchens of Michoacan during the 17th and 18th centuries, fusing the pre-Hispanic technique of the tamale with European ingredients such as rice flour, wheat flour, butter, egg and sugar of conventual-baroque New Spanish tradition.