The holiday 'tamale crush' is on, and KNX News reporter Margaret Carrero stopped by Tamales Liliana's in east Los Angeles, where people were already stocking up for Christmas.
She connected with Deborah and her husband, Marco, who have been getting their Christmas tamale fix at Liliana's for several years.
They made the trip from Covina not because they don't have tamales closer to home but, as Deborah puts it Tamales Liliana's, "The flavor and the masa is moist so, it makes it exceptional because you can eat tamales where we live, but they're on the drier side. They make them exceptional."
About 200 bags of masa - a key ingredient in making tamales - were given away for free at an Amapola market in Whittier Wednesday morning.
Marco has been going to Tamales Liliana's for decades, telling Carrero, "I remember when the man used to go around the corner and sell him a little cart over there by the church. Yeah, that's how long ago, maybe 30 years ago, maybe 30 years ago."
[iframe https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d300.8004533417601!2d-118.1663286046739!3d34.04093480328562!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x80c2cf7b8cd31bc3%3A0x52181a9f4b3412d1!2sTamales%20Lilianas!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1703198574987!5m2!1sen!2sus allowfullscreen="" height="450" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" style="border:0" width="600"]These seasoned Liliana's professionals said they were taking home four dozen, including some with queso, Marco's favorite.
And as some advice for newbies, they say every expert knows: come before the rush on Christmas Eve.
Montse Bautista, with Liliana's, says, if you do plan to come on Christmas Eve, have a game plan; "They should know what they want already just because, you know, people do start at 2 AM. They think it's funny when I tell them, but we do have people lining up at 2 AM, with their blankets, with their chairs."
If you plan to brave the crowd, keep in mind it's also first come, first served on Christmas Eve.
Bautista says they go through about 150,000 Tamales during the holiday season.
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