Memphis Hot Tamales appears as a signature dish in 1 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Memphis hot tamales · Memphis
Memphis hot tamales are corn-husk-tied beef cylinders simmered in spicy broth, a Delta tradition that crossed the river with Mississippi labourers.
Hot tamales arrived in Memphis from the Mississippi Delta in the early 20th century, brought by Black field workers exposed to the dish during seasonal migration to Texas and Mexico in the early 1900s. By the 1940s, tamale carts rolled through Memphis neighbourhoods. Cozy Corner sells them today and a few BBQ shops carry them as a side; the tradition is documented by Garden and Gun and Southern Foodways Alliance.
Where to eat in Memphis:
- Cozy Corner BBQ
- A&R Bar-B-Que
- Payne's Bar-B-Que