Happy National Tamale Day!

My photograph of XLNT beef tamales, broken open to reveal their dense filling and crumbly masa. These familiar grocery store tamales have been made in California since 1894, originally sold from horse-drawn carts in Los Angeles. Over the decades, XLNT became a West Coast staple—first in cans, now frozen and still wrapped in parchment. Once called “California’s favorite tamale”, they’re a lasting part of Americanized Mexican food history.

National Tamale Day was established in 2015 by Richard Lambert, owner of Santa Barbara Tamales-To-Go, to recognize the cultural importance of tamales and to give them a celebration beyond the holiday season.

From my series From Bag to Background. See the full gallery at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!