Plan Your Tamale Party

Remember that making tamales is not just about eating, it is about sharing and creating memories. One of the best ways to do this is to plan a Tamale Party. Tamales are the ideal food to serve at a party because they taste so good. They can be served equally well at a sit-down dinner, or they can be served as a finger food. In either case, you will create an event that your friends will not soon forget.

In creating a successful party, you want to stimulate all the senses of your guests, and carefully coordinate the event such that all their senses are receiving uniform signals, that you create. Lets think about the senses; Tasting, Smelling, Seeing, and Hearing. You should plan the party such that each of these senses receives a festive and warm message of Old Mexico. We will consider each of these senses below

Tasting: Well, this is the easy one. If you are serving tamales from the recipe on this site, you will have the "Taste" sense fully covered. Nothing helps create the ambiance of Old Mexico like Tamales. Lets just say you already have this one covered.

Seeing: You will want to visually stimulate your guests as well. Remember that Mexican gatherings are very festive affairs. You will want to bombard your guests with bright, festive colors. Bright Reds, Greens, and Blues will help create this desired stimulation. Look for opportunities to incorporate these bright colors into your party. A bright tablecloth, place mats, and dishes will be a good start. Another tip is to serve brightly colored foods as side dishes. Sliced Avocados, Sliced Tomatoes, and Fresh Green Peppers will introduce color, and an authentic Mexican flair to your table.

Smelling: If you are steaming the tamales (or re-steaming) when your guests arrive, you will create a rich Mexican aroma in the air. This will create a sense of anticipation, and will blend well with the bright colors they see when they arrive at the party.

Hearing: This is one of the most overlooked of the senses. It also creates one of the best opportunities to create that festive atmosphere you are shooting for. We can think of no better way than to have the proper music playing. Mexican music is very upbeat and lively. We like some of the Tejano music, because it has a powerful Mexican sound, but has lyrics that often go back and forth between English and Spanish. We have found that having the right music playing can really add an entirely new dimension to a party. If you are not familiar with this music, you can consider purchasing some of my all time favorites from the Amazon widget below. I think the songs are less than a dollar each, and you can buy just the ones you like. I have included what I consider to be the top ten songs that you can play at a Tamale Party. They also create a festive atmosphere if you play them as you make the Tamales. Helps to get you in that Tamale groove. If you click on the icons below, you can listen to a sample of the music, or purchase, and download. Enjoy!

OK, You have your Tamales, your festive decorations, and your music. Time to Party!