Tamales canarios: what they are, recipe and origin

What is it?

Tamales canarios are one of the most distinctive sweet tamales of the Mexican repertoire, originating in Michoacán. Their name comes from their characteristic golden-yellow colour, similar to that of a canary, which they acquire thanks to the incorporation of egg yolks into the masa. Unlike most Mexican tamales —which are prepared with nixtamalised maize masa— tamales canarios are made with rice flour combined with wheat flour, butter, sugar, egg yolks and whites whisked to stiff peaks, raisins, milk and baking powder. The resulting masa is fluffy, slightly sweet, similar to a steamed sponge cake. They are wrapped in dry maize husks and steamed for approximately 1 hour. They are sweet tamales for dessert or an afternoon snack, ideal to accompany coffee, hot chocolate or atole. They are typical of Michoacán markets, especially in Morelia, Pátzcuaro and Uruapan, where they are sold fresh at dawn each day.

Origin and history

Tamales canarios are a mestizo creation developed during the colonial period, fusing the pre-Hispanic technique of the tamal (masa wrapped and steamed) with European ingredients such as wheat flour, rice flour, butter, egg and sugar. Their origin is attributed to the convent and seigneurial kitchens of Michoacán, particularly Morelia (then called Valladolid), during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The nuns of the Michoacán convents, experts in European baroque pastry, adapted the technique of the native tamal to their European culinary traditions, giving rise to sweet tamales such as the canarios. The master Ricardo Muñoz Zurita documents them in the Diccionario Enciclopédico de Gastronomía Mexicana. Chef Zahie Téllez and Larousse Cocina have published modern traditional recipes. It forms part of Michoacán cuisine, the core of Traditional Mexican Cuisine recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, in which Michoacán was the culinary model representative of the entire country in the international recognition.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for tamales canarios combines rice flour (the leading ingredient) with wheat flour, butter at room temperature, sugar, egg yolks (which give the canary-yellow colour), egg whites whisked to stiff peaks, evaporated or whole milk, baking powder and raisins. It is important to beat the butter well with the sugar to cream it, incorporate the yolks one by one, add the sifted flours alternating with the milk, and finally the whisked 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 into previously rehydrated dry maize husks, wrapped carefully and steamed for 50–60 minutes. Regional variants: in Morelia they are preferred with lots of raisins and a touch of cinnamon; in Pátzcuaro they include walnuts; in Uruapan they are served with pineapple sweet on top. The consistency should be fluffy and light, similar to a sponge cake, with moderate sweetness in each bite.

Cultural significance

Tamales canarios are one of the most representative sweet tamales of Michoacán cuisine and of traditional Mexican baking. Their consumption is concentrated in Michoacán (Morelia, Pátzcuaro, Uruapan, Tlalpujahua) but has spread to Mexico City and other urban centres thanks to the prestige of Michoacán cuisine. They are typical in Michoacán markets such as the Sweets Market of Morelia, where traditional tamaleras sell them fresh each dawn. SECTUR promotes them as a cultural tourism product of Michoacán, and they appear at gastronomic festivals such as the Tamal Fair of Mexico City (held each February around Candlemas Day). Traditional cooks such as Carmen Titita Ramírez Degollado, Zahie Téllez and Margarita Carrillo Arronte have documented and promoted them. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010 with Michoacán as the representative model. On 2 February, Candlemas Day, 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 the plumage of a canary, which they acquire thanks to the abundant incorporation of egg yolks. It is an evocative visual association that became established in Michoacán cuisine of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some authors also link the name to the Canary Islands because of 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 the canarios use rice flour combined with wheat flour, giving a fluffier, lighter sponge-cake-like texture. In addition, the canarios incorporate abundant egg yolks and whisked whites that produce an aerated masa, characteristics that distinguish them from the classic sweet tamal of traditional maize masa.

What are tamales canarios served with?

They are traditionally accompanied by 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 sweet on top as an indulgent complement. They are typical for accompanying the hot chocolate of the cold Michoacán winter.

Where do tamales canarios come from?

They originate in the state of Michoacán, with their main presence in Morelia (the capital), Pátzcuaro, Uruapan and Tlalpujahua. Their origin is mestizo and colonial: they emerged in the convent and seigneurial kitchens of Michoacán during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, fusing the pre-Hispanic technique of the tamal with European ingredients such as rice flour, wheat flour, butter, egg and sugar of New Spain's conventual-baroque tradition.