The tamale holds power in Hispanic politics, family

Tonight's New York Times features a profile of a Broadway-like show running in LA called "Too Many Tamales". It is an insight into Latino family culture in the mad search for a lost wedding ring.

But the article misses the larger cultural and political significance of this culinary delight -- that when made right -- is kind of the meat and potatoes of Mexican food.

Preparation begins days before for devouring in Hispanic homes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My cousin in Topeka began making the masa today. That is the off-white corn breading around the inside of meat or sweets like raisins, nuts and other nothings. That makes the tamale a food for all three meals.

But the tamale becomes the source of dispute in some families. Since they are so hard to make, there can be an allowance set on how many one member can have. And there have definite allowances placed on how many a family member can take home and freeze for future good heating.

If the person wanting to receive has not helped in either the mixing of masa or the pasting of it on the corn shuck, they usually are not seen as worthy as receiving more than a dozen of tamales to take home. So some hard feelings can be made between family members remembered until next Christmas.

But no more damage was done to relationships with Hispanics that unleashed by then President Gerald Ford in the 1976 race in San Antonio. Instead of taking off the corn shuck from the tamale, he bit into it. That showed Hispanic voters that he had no knowledge of their culture. And it didn't help him that he said singer Vikki Carr was his favorite Mexican dish.

While the LA show will bring a lot of laughs, the tamale in Hispanic households is very serious business at Christmas and a way to commit political suicide during a campaign.