Edible Rhody

Making Tamales Takes More than Masa

• Photo by Joshua Behan

  Jesús de la Torre begins making the spicy pulled pork filling placed inside the tamales a day or two prior to final assembly.

• Photo by Joshua Behan

  Many hands make light work. Jesús de la Torre with his wife, Sarah Harding, and their daughter Elijah spread corn masa mixture on the husks. Their daughter Maya, away at college, also loves this treasured family tamal-making tradition.

• Photo by Joshua Behan

  Making the masa requires muscle in order to achieve the proper consistency.

• Photo by Joshua Behan

  The spicy tamales are tied with a little strip of husk to differentiate them from other tamales with less-spicy fillings.