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DictionarytamaleSteamed corn-dough dish
noun

tamale

tuh-MAH-lee/təˈmɑːli/

A Mexican dish of filled corn dough steamed in a husk or leaf.

The opened tamale reveals filling surrounded by corn dough.

A corn-husk tamale opened and cut across to reveal seasoned filling enclosed in corn dough, with a small steaming basket of wrapped tamales behind it.
Etymology
tamaleNahuatlfood made of corn and meat

Nahuatl tamalli named a food made of corn and meat. The familiar English singular arose from treating the borrowed plural tamales as an English plural.

In context

UpFlip8:14
Grated cassava, and then that is mixed with rice, seasoned. And then, in the middle you have a seasoned chicken. So basically, what a tamale would be, except for tamales are made out of corn.
From Food Truck to Restaurant Business (A Recipe for Success) Pt. 1

More examples

  • The tamale contained seasoned meat inside corn dough.
  • Steam rose from the basket of tamales.
  • He served a tamale with salsa.

Forms

tamale · tamales

Similar words

burrito
A burrito wraps filling in a tortilla; a tamale cooks filling within corn dough in a husk or leaf.
empanada
An empanada encloses filling in pastry; a tamale uses a different dough and wrapping method.