Tamal
Origin
From Spanish tamal, from Nahuatl ("wrapped").
Full definition of tamal
Noun
tamal
(plural tamales)- Alternative form of tamale Mexican food dish.
- 1911, Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field, Vol. 34, p. 497I fully recognize the excellence of the tamal of the gringos. It is a superb standby for picknickers, prospectors, camping-outers, school children, and factory lunches.
- 2000, Bruce Geddes, Mexico, p.43Someone from Campeche may brag about a tamal made there with a salsa of guajillo chiles, axiote (a regional spice), jitomate...
- 2007, Robin S. Goldstein, Fearless Critic Houston Restaurant Guide: Brutally Honest Undercover Chefs and Food Writers Rate More Than 400 Places to Eat, page 314Ask for Salvadoran crema to accompany whichever you choose; it's thick and somewhat akin to sour cream, and you'll get that much more pleasure from your tamal.
Usage notes
The form tamal is preferred by some to tamale, as tamal is the Standard Spanish singular form while tamale is generally analyzed as a back-formation from the plural tamales, thus proscribed. Note however that tamale exists in Spanish dialect.