Christmas tamales are a tradition for many Mexican families in Chicago, but if you don't make them yourself, these five restaurants do.
A potful of tamales at Aracely’s Bakery on Dec. 20, 2022, in Franklin Park. The bakery celebrated 40 years in business this year. Over the holiday season its tamale business goes way up and they will sell nearly 12,000 before Christmas.
She learned the basics of making tamales as her grandma carried out the Christmas tradition, which passed to her mother, who died in 2010.They wake up early to buy the masa together at Cecy’s Molino de Masa in the South Chicago neighborhood, along with the chiles and corn husks. Her dad, Ricardo, picks up pounds of pork from a butcher in the neighborhood. Each year, they make pork and red chile tamales, plus sweet tamales, such as pineapple or strawberry, made with the remaining masa.
She looks forward to the simple joy of watching the sitcom “Golden Girls” and hand-mixing the masa while her dad shreds the pork. They catch up on life, reminisce over old stories, and gossip as they cook. For the two of them, the time together is sacred — and also an important way to remember Ortiz-Torres’ mother.“One of my favorite pictures is me sitting with her, making tamales, and we both have reindeer ears on,” Ortiz-Torres said. “I miss that.
“I’m just really thankful for my dad,” Ortiz-Torres said, “because he’s really the one that makes sure that this all gets pulled together.”
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