A locally owned grocery store in Burleson is preparing for a spike in demand for tamales. Tamales are popular in Mexico and Central America as a dish served from the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12 through Epiphany on January 6.
City Market, which opened 35 years ago on Renfro Street, west of 35W, draws crowds every year for Christmas tamales. The store sells brisket, spicy pork and mild pork tamales.
"We make tamales, thousands of tamales, this time of year," says Owner Kurt Jaeger. "We make them by hand. This is a big time of year for tamales."
City Market makes tamales in-house. Jaeger says, as an independent grocer, he prepares fresh food throughout the year, but his busiest time is at Christmas.
"We ramp up our kitchen, we ramp up our help. We kind of go full-blast in the kitchen on tamales, and we just make a bunch of them," Jaeger says.
He says the cost of ingredients has increased 13 to 15%, but he says City Market is selling tamales at the same price as last year. Jaeger says he expects to lose money this December, but he says he hopes to show customers his dedication and convince them to come back regularly.
"People come back every year. They will call and special order [tamales]," he says. "We make our own guacamole, our own pico de gallo, our own seven layer dips and sauces."
Tamales were first eaten by early Mesoamerican civilizations, often carried by Aztec warriors into battle and by hunters as a way to provide nutrition.
Tamales now commemorate Las Posadas, Mary and Joseph's search for shelter before the birth of Jesus Christ.
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