Tamales are the Worst Food in Existence

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IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
71,882
31,959
136
Tamales are okay, green corn tamales edging out the meat tamales for flavor. For Mexican food, it's hard to beat enchiladas for just plain not good, wrecking a perfectly good burro by soaking the tortilla.
 

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
65
91
I had tamales once in my life when someone brought them over from a nearby city where some mexican women are doing them.

I liked them tbh. I didn't think they were that fatty tasting.

Still, tacos de cochnita pibil and various seafood stuff I ate in the yucatan peninsula (both fried and not fried) remain my favourite mexican food.

I haven't tasted the whole menu yet though. I tried some northern/tex-mex food here, at a mexican restaurant, I ate a burrito, but to be honest while it was good it seemed like an assemblage of everyday food, not something you'd go to the restaurant for (it's pretty expensive in my country).
 

LikeLinus

Lifer
Jul 25, 2001
11,518
670
126
real coleslaw is made with light cider vinegar, or depending on the region of your world, your local vinegar/slightly fermented whatever...but it is never actually made with mayo.

some asshole parts of the USA, however, just mix mayo with shredded cabbage and call it coleslaw. If this is how you judge coleslaw, then yes, you are correct and it is godawful. But isn't coleslaw, it is never how it should be made. It is poison. It should be abolished.


Looks like Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States (maybe others) all use a variety of Mayo based Coleslaw.

"The 1770 recipe book The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World contains a recipe attributed to the author's Dutch landlady, who mixed thin strips of cabbage with melted butter, vinegar, and oil. The recipe for coleslaw as it is most commonly prepared is fairly young, as mayonnaise was invented during the mid-18th century."

Using Mayo with Coleslaw doesn't seem like it was "never actually made with mayo". It's most certainly made with Mayo in more than just the US.
 

pcgeek11

Lifer
Jun 12, 2005
22,100
4,886
136
Grits a are substrate for cheese (cheddar is perfect for this) and southern sausage patties, cut up. If you know what you're doing, it's perfect. If you're from south Carolina, you put sea insects in them, which is disgusting, but some people like that crap.

Anyway, it's not the grits. It's knowing how to make them and, especially, serve them.

Tamales, I have not nearly enough familiarity to judge, but I also know that "cooking in lard" is generally an instant qualifier for "awesome," and points can really only be deducted from that point, for various failures...so it's already an instant win, just needs some love and attention.

Because of this, I judge the OP's original claims to be dubious, at best.

I agree with the exception of the 'seabug' comment. Lol. I love sea bugs and grits, I mean shrimp and grits...
 
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lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,066
9,468
126
I don't generally like mayo or stuff made with it, but coleslaw can be good that way; really good actually. It can also be very bad though, and there's less room for error than vinegar based slaw. If I were showed both, and told I could only have one without tasting first, I'd take the vinegar based cause it would be more likely to be at least acceptable.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,986
1,388
126
I agree with the exception of the 'seabug' comment. Lol. I love sea bugs and grits, I mean shrimp and grits...

Love shrimps myself but whenever I visit my buddies in Louisiana and during season, they have mudbugs/crawdads/crawfishes and I still do not like them. Too little to have much meat inside but them Cajuns love those mudbugs along with corns and potatoes and other items in a big pot. I rather have gumbo and jambalaya.
 
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mztykal

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
6,709
48
91
Tamales are amazing! So is coleslaw...grits are great! Covered in cheese and butter! Kolaches in Houston are my favorite! I miss Kolaches from Shipleys...and Southern Maid...
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
65,603
13,981
146
I wonder...looking at the pic in the op...if no one ever told him you were supposed to remove the corn husk wrappers and discard them....
 
Feb 4, 2009
35,777
17,318
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I’m with OP on this, I had one tamale a few years ago at a work event. That one was really good however it was crafted by a high end caterer. The guy made a bunch of fabulous stuff. Fun event.
I remember it was a little salty but not too much, a little heat it not too much and it was put together really well.
I haven’t had kfc coleslaw in a long time but I remember it being really good.

Biscuits & gravy was my major disappointment. Forgot where it was from but they claimed to have the best. Found it pretty bland and had an overly flour taste. Big disappointment.
 

stargazr

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2010
4,086
3,552
136
I wonder...looking at the pic in the op...if no one ever told him you were supposed to remove the corn husk wrappers and discard them....
Bush Jr visited San Antonio during his first term, and tried Tamales and they say he ate the corn husk :p
 
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sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,732
17,215
126
Bush Jr visited San Antonio during his first term, and tried Tamales and they say he ate the corn husk :p


Isn't he Texan? How can he not know that? And why wouldn't the people around him tell him?
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
65,603
13,981
146
I’m with OP on this, I had one tamale a few years ago at a work event. That one was really good however it was crafted by a high end caterer. The guy made a bunch of fabulous stuff. Fun event.
I remember it was a little salty but not too much, a little heat it not too much and it was put together really well.
I haven’t had kfc coleslaw in a long time but I remember it being really good.

Biscuits & gravy was my major disappointment. Forgot where it was from but they claimed to have the best. Found it pretty bland and had an overly flour taste. Big disappointment.

Seems like, the more a place brags about their biscuits and gravy, the more mediocre to terrible it actually is.
 

stargazr

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2010
4,086
3,552
136
I've had authentic home made tamales that were great, but usually not crazy about them because the meat is like paste, no substance.
 

stargazr

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2010
4,086
3,552
136
Isn't he Texan? How can he not know that? And why wouldn't the people around him tell him?
No he is not Texan. I can't answer the second question, but that's what I heard from my gf from working with Mexican women here in San Antonio.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,732
17,215
126
No he is not Texan. I can't answer the second question, but that's what I heard from my gf from working with Mexican women here in San Antonio.


George W moved to Texas when his dad moved in 1948...
 
Feb 4, 2009
35,777
17,318
136
Seems like, the more a place brags about their biscuits and gravy, the more mediocre to terrible it actually is.

It looked awesome but taste.....
I have to agree with what you said
I think the biscuit part was really good but tough to tell over the taste of the rest