Rajas con queso tamales: what they are and how to make them

What is it?

Rajas con queso tamales are one of the most popular versions in Mexico City and all of central Mexico. They have maize dough beaten with lard until fluffy, filled with roasted poblano chilli strips and pieces of panela or fresh cheese, all bathed in tomatillo green salsa. They are wrapped in maize husk and steamed in large tamaleras. Together with the mole tamale with chicken and the strawberry dulce tamale, they dominate the white carts of central Mexico City and its outskirts all year round. They are synonymous with the chilango breakfast: a tamale in a torta with coffee or atole, an inseparable pairing of Candlemas Day.

Origin and history

The rajas tamale has a mestizo origin: poblano chilli rajas are a colonial preparation born in Puebla when the convents incorporated European cheeses into the native chilli. Larousse Cocina describes poblano rajas tamales as a traditional recipe documented since the 19th century in central Mexico. The formula took hold in Mexico City in the 20th century thanks to the market tamaleras and street vendors. Yuri de Gortari, a populariser of traditional Mexican cuisine, considers them one of the most representative tamales of the capital's popular table. Directo al Paladar notes that the rajas tamale is the favourite vegetarian option of the chilango repertoire, especially strong around Candlemas Day (2 February), when whoever got the figurine in the Rosca de Reyes must treat their family to tamales.

Characteristic ingredients

The dough is made with finely ground nixtamalised maize, pork lard or vegetable oil beaten until fluffy, salt and chicken or vegetable broth. Some recipes add baking powder to ensure a light texture. The filling has roasted, peeled poblano chilli cut into thin strips (rajas), green salsa of cooked tomatillo with serrano chilli, coriander, onion and garlic, and panela, fresh or Oaxaca cheese. The dried maize husks are soaked in hot water for about 30 minutes to make them flexible, filled with a layer of dough, topped with the green salsa, rajas and cheese, closed into a rectangle and steamed for about 1 hour. A variant version includes epazote or squash blossom alongside the rajas.

Cultural significance

The rajas con queso tamale is a symbol of the chilango popular table and of the Candlemas Day tradition, when Mexicans treat their relatives to tamales to fulfil the commitment taken on after finding the figurine in the Rosca de Reyes. Yuri de Gortari, quoted by Directo al Paladar, considers it one of the few truly vegetarian tamales of the Mexican repertoire, which is why it has won over diners who avoid meat. In 2010 UNESCO inscribed traditional Mexican cuisine as Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and tamales are a central part of that recognition. In Mexico City, the tamale carts are an economic micro-ecosystem: many migrant families (especially from Oaxaca) support their livelihood by selling rajas, mole, dulce and verdes tamales in the street on cold mornings.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rajas tamales and verdes tamales?

They are almost identical, but verdes tamales usually contain shredded chicken and green salsa without rajas, while rajas con queso ones are vegetarian: only poblano rajas, cheese and green salsa. Larousse even offers a recipe for rajas and verdes tamales combining both. In chilango tamale shops, verde with chicken and rajas with cheese are two distinct options on the same cart.

What cheese goes in the rajas tamale?

It traditionally has panela or fresh cheese, cut into small cubes or batons a centimetre thick. Some tamaleras use shredded Oaxaca cheese so it melts more. The cheese should be a white Mexican type, neither aged nor cured, because it must stay soft after steaming. In the home version requeson can also be used with very tasty, rich results.

Where do rajas tamales come from?

Poblano chilli rajas are a preparation originating in Puebla, arising in the colonial convents of the 17th century. The rajas tamale as such became popular in central Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico, Morelos) during the 19th century and became established as a chilango street icon in the 20th century. Today it is considered an emblematic dish of central Mexico.

How are rajas tamales served?

They are served hot, on a plate or inside a bolillo or telera roll (the famous tamale torta or chilango guajolota), accompanied by clay-pot coffee, plain atole or chocolate atole. Some add cream and cheese on top, but the classic cart version is eaten as it is, opening the maize husk. It is a typical winter and Candlemas Day breakfast.