Polydish city guide
Best Tamale in Chicago
“Steamed masa pockets wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves, filled with whatever tastes right to you.”
What the real thing tastes like
A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaves. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, herbs, chilies, or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned. Tamale is an anglicized version of the Spanish word tamal (plural: tamales). Tamal comes from the Nahuatl tamalli. The English "tamale" is a back-formation from tamales, with English speakers applying English pluralization rules, and thus interpreting the -e- as part of the stem, rather than part of the plural suffix -es.
0 voices, one story
A tamale is a pocket of possibility: nixtamalized corn dough wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves, then steamed until tender. What goes inside is up to you—meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables, chilies, herbs—and the cooking liquid itself becomes seasoned. The wrapping serves double duty: it steams the masa from outside in, then becomes your edible plate, or you peel it away to eat what's inside.
Order it here when it has
- versatile filling options
- dual-purpose wrapping
- traditional technique
Walk away when you see
Restaurant-level rankings for Chicago land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —
Tamale on Polydish →