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Zwolle tamales

Posted on 3/18/23 at 8:28 pm
Posted by HeyCap
Member since Nov 2014
620 posts
Posted on 3/18/23 at 8:28 pm
I grew up across the street from a lady from Zwolle. She wouldn’t make tamales herself but had family from there that would send them down on a regular basis. From what I remember they were good, but that’s coming from a 9 year old whose palate wasn’t quite refined, much like MaryAnn Fitzmorris’.

Saw this today while grocery shopping and it made me wonder how Zwolle became a tamale haven. I mean, it doesn’t look like it’s in tamale country. Does anybody have the backstory on it? Are they any good? I didn’t buy these. I’m more of a traditionalist. I believe there’s a time and place to substitute proteins but tamales ain’t it. That’s a whole different thread.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/18/23 at 9:11 pm to
Mexican migrant workers came through Texas and worked their way through cotton picking country (Zwolle, MS delta, etc). That’s why tamales are found in cotton growing areas.

It’s also the reason for the origin of Texas BBQ. Texas BBQ is similar to New Orleans poboys. Grocery stores cooked tough pieces of meat that nobody wanted to buy (brisket) and sold them to Mexican workers for lunch. The workers would then purchase crackers, bread, pickles, onions, etc inside the grocery store.
This post was edited on 3/18/23 at 9:13 pm
Posted by blucollarskolar
Member since Sep 2014
273 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 7:19 am to
Pretty sure OP is referring to Zwolle, LA being the tamale haven. It is located in piney wood forests of NWLA nowhere near the delta or cotton fields. I’ve never heard of a Zwolle, MS, but I’m sure there is not another town of that name associated in any way with tamales.

OP, here is a brief history on the town/tamale festival. Tamale Fiesta
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 7:34 am to
There are cotton fields west of Zwolle. I’ve seen plenty in the Natchitoches area which is 40 miles away. I grew up visiting family in the area and we played in the fields back in the 80s.

MS delta = Mississippi Delta.

Is it difficult to reason that tamales in the cotton field region are a thing and since Zwolle rhymes with tamale, they latched onto it for a festival?

Mississippi Delta

This post was edited on 3/19/23 at 7:35 am
Posted by McCauley
Jacksonburg, WV
Member since Jan 2023
264 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 8:17 am to
I was actually in the area this past fall but it was early evening and all the tamale shops were already closed. Wish I could find a place that sells those in the BR/Prairieville area.
Posted by LSUballs
RayVegas LA
Member since Feb 2008
37855 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 8:33 am to
quote:

Mexican migrant workers came through Texas and worked their way through cotton picking country (Zwolle, MS delta, etc). That’s why tamales are found in cotton growing areas.



Lmao. You'd be hard pressed finding a piece of land less suitable for growing cotton than Zwolle LA.
Posted by SidetrackSilvera
Member since Nov 2012
1966 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 9:04 am to
Correct
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 11:20 am to
There are cotton fields 40 miles away. You don’t think food people eat can be similar within 40 miles?

There are no crawfish ponds in Baton Rouge, yet there are crawfish ponds 40 miles away.
Posted by IndianPower
Louisiana
Member since May 2021
754 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 11:49 am to
Indians and Mexican mixed blood up there. Best tamales i have ever had were made by an old woman that lived up there. She always joked there were no stray animals around Many, Zwolle and Converse.
If that was the case they were the tastiest creatures ever to be wrapped in corn husks LOL!
Posted by Twenty 49
Shreveport
Member since Jun 2014
18843 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 1:09 pm to
In the 1700s, the Spaniards sent settlers and soldiers to what is now the Zwolle area to protect their border of New Spain from encroachment by the French who were in Natchitoches. But the groups were so remote from their bosses that they intermingled and got along. The folks in Zwolle are descendants of the Spanish, mixed with Native American and sometimes French blood.

Texas Monthly has a good article about Zwolle's history and the Tamale Fiesta.

The Lost Texans of the Louisiana Pines: A visit to the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta and Los Adaes, where our state’s Spanish colonial roots live on just across the Sabine River.

If there, go to L&W Tamale House and get a couple dozen. Only $10 a dozen. Best I've had.
Posted by Tigers0891
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2017
6625 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 2:57 pm to
Zwolle is a shite hole with sub par tamales
Posted by LSUballs
RayVegas LA
Member since Feb 2008
37855 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 3:01 pm to
Your ignorance of geography is on par with your ignorance of tamales. The dry Mexican Zwollle tamales arent the same thing as MS Delta hot tamales.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 3:14 pm to
Provide an answer to the OP then. All you’ve contributed to the thread is to disprove me.
This post was edited on 3/19/23 at 4:16 pm
Posted by pbro62
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2016
11509 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 4:41 pm to
You are a dumbass
Posted by Earthquake 88
Mobile
Member since Jan 2010
3021 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 5:17 pm to
quote:

Grocery stores cooked tough pieces of meat that nobody wanted to buy (brisket) and sold them to Mexican workers for lunch.


I heard this interesting story when I was a kid back in the 70’s. Not sure if it’s true, but it’s probably not far off from the truth. My grandparents lived in Texas. This fellow owned a BBQ place in Fort Worth by the stockyard where my grandfather bought cattle from. My grandfather was friendly with the owner and he sat down to talk with us for a few minutes. This man told us that Germans were primarily the butchers in Texas back in the old days. They used to grind meat up into hamburger that now are considered great cuts of beef if cooked properly. He said a butcher was cooking a brisket to feed people working in the fields. The butcher forget that brisket was on the smoker and it cooked all night. In the morning he thought it was ruined and was cutting slices of it to give away. Folks back in those days didn’t waste anything whatsoever. So the people that got free samples liked it so much they kept asking for more. Thus a butcher by accident helped start what is so beloved now not only in Texas but across America.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 6:07 pm to
quote:

pbro62

quote:

You are a dumbass


Once again, the classy Food Board posters arrive.

Please provide content. I shared what I’ve learned on the OP’s subject.

Do you disagree? If so, please explain why. Provide your own content to the topic. I’ve even posted a link to source some of my content. I’d love to hear why you disagree and perhaps learn something new.

This is a thread with a topic…contribute to it instead of just calling someone a dumbass with zero context.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 6:08 pm to
quote:

LSUballs

quote:

The dry Mexican Zwollle tamales arent the same thing as MS Delta hot tamales.


Explain, please. Contribute to the topic.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 6:16 pm to


quote:

Lmao. You'd be hard pressed finding a piece of land less suitable for growing cotton than Zwolle LA.


Idk, looks like there is farmable land in Zwolle. And look at the map 40 miles to the East. Look at all the fields.
Posted by TDTOM
Member since Jan 2021
14970 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 6:23 pm to


Having driven through Zwolle many times going to the lake house. I do not remember seeing any cotton fields or storage facilities.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8346 posts
Posted on 3/19/23 at 6:27 pm to
As I said, I know there are cotton fields 40 miles East. And it’s not difficult to imagine people within 40 miles of each other sharing the same cultures.

I don’t know if that is the absolute concrete reason tamales are in Zwolle, but if there are cotton fields in the area, then it’s certain Mexican migrants worked the fields at some point. So it could stand to reason that the claim is possible.
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