A whole steamed tamal slipped inside a soft bolillo roll, the carb-on-carb breakfast Chilangos eat at dawn from street tamaleros. Heretical outside Mexico City, well-regarded within.

The guajolota is a Mexico City invention from the late 19th century, born of the city's tamalero street trade. The name comes from the Nahuatl guajolote (turkey), a joke about fattening up the eater. By the early 20th century, the format had become the canonical pre-work breakfast for working-class Chilangos; tamaleros set up at metro exits and bus stops by 5am every weekday. The most common fillings are rajas con queso, mole negro, salsa verde con pollo, and dulce de fresa for the sweet version. Costs 20 to 30 pesos at street level; the format is unique to Mexico City and considered insane by the rest of Mexico.

5 editor picks for Guajolota (Torta de tamal) in Mexico City, ranked by editorial score. All Mexico City signature dishes · Guajolota (Torta de tamal) across every city.