LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The holiday season is full of tradition. From baking cookies to making candy, many families find themselves repeating practices and introducing them to new generations. For some, one of those traditions include tamales, a popular Mexican cuisine.
“Just like turkey is for Thanksgiving, tamales are for Christmas in the Hispanic community,” said Nariza Martinez-Johnson, a third-generation co-owner of Doña Maria Tamales, one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in the Las Vegas valley.
Tamales are a Hispanic tradition that started during the Aztec times, symbolizing family, love, and celebration.
“All the families get together, and you have the grandmas that are kneading the masa, then you have the aunts that are putting the masa on the corn husk, and somebody’s rolling them, and they’re cooking them,” said Martinez-Johnson.
Doña Maria Tamales, a three-generation family-owned business, is known for its rich tradition and authentic tamales. They say they’ve been spreading the taste and warmth of the holiday season in the valley for more than four decades.
“The recipe comes from my dad’s side of the family, so it’s his grandma’s recipe. We’ve been perfecting it as the years go [by],” said Martinez-Johnson. “We know we gotta add a little more of this, a little more of that.”
Doña Maria Tamales makes 400 pounds of masa daily during the holiday season. That’s enough for 400 dozen tamales – one dozen per pound. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, production jumps up to 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of masa to keep pace with demand.
“It’s rewarding. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s rewarding that [people] allow you to go into their homes and have your food,” said Martinez-Johnson.
The Martinez family plans to pass on the deeply rooted tradition to future generations while continuing to offer a taste of their culture to the community.
“We are very proud because to see your product, they like it and they love it,” said Alfredo Martinez, owner and founder of Doña Maria Tamales. “It’s the culture for us.”
“When we first started out, it was small, and we kind of grew, just like the community grew, we grew with it, and it’s rewarding,” said Martinez-Johnson.
