Happy National Tamale Day! Today we want to introduce you to the women behind some of Washington’s most beloved tamales.
Tamales 101
10,000+ YEAR HISTORY – Tamales are one of the world’s oldest foods still eaten today, dating back 10,000 years to 8,000 BCE in Mesoamerica
ETYMOLOGY – The word ‘Tamal’ or ‘Tamale’ comes from the Nahuatl word “tamalli”
WOMEN AT THE CENTER – Ancient hieroglyphics often depict women preparing tamales, showing their role at the center of the tradition
500+ VARIETIES – In Mexico alone there are over 500 varieties of tamales today, and countless family-specific preparations
Meet the Women Behind the Tamales
Dora Ruiz — New Mexico Tamale Company, Bellingham
📍4151 Meridian St, Bellingham
THE STORY – Dora left New Mexico and couldn’t find the flavors she grew up with, especially the tamales, so she made them herself. Her recipes come from her mother. She calls customers “sweetheart” and New Mexico Tamale Company was named the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 2022.
THE TAMALES – Pork, chicken, vegetarian, and vegan — all made with Hatch chiles from New Mexico. Lard-free, gluten-free, and generously filled. Never made with large machinery.
Evangelina Sahagun — Frelard Tamales, Seattle
📍106 N 36th St, Seattle
THE STORY – Evangelina Sahagun grew up outside Puerto Vallarta and learned to make tamales from her mother-in-law in Gargantillo, Jalisco. She brought those recipes to Seattl in 2002. Her son Osbaldo and his husband Dennis Ramey own Frelard Tamales, but Evangelina is the heart behind the masa.
THE TAMALES – Salsa verde chicken, red chile pork, sweet potato in mole, jalapeño and cheese, black bean and fajita veggie, and a sweet corn dessert tamal.
Gema Rangel — Don Gallopinto, Burien
📍14912 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien
THE STORY – Gema Rangel opened Don Gallopinto Nicaraguan Restaurant with her husband Luis to share the flavors of their Nicaraguan and Mexican roots. Gema couldn’t find Nicaraguan flavors in the state, so she is proud to highlight her heritage through her flavors and cooking.
THE TAMALES – Gema’s tamales, or Nacatamales, are inspired by her Nicaraguan heritage. Nicaraguan tamales are typically a bit larger, wrapped in banana/plantain leaves, and boiled.
Maria De Luna – Cafetal Quilombo Café, Seattle
📍4343 15th Ave S, Seattle
THE STORY – Maria De Luna and her husband Heriberto Magdaleno are former owners of a Tortilleria in Aguascalientes, Mexico, moved to the states, and saved for years to open their business starting with just two items: Coffee and Tamales. Their menu has grown, but their flavors and techniques from Aguascalientes are still used today.
THE TAMALES – Customers have compared these tamales to their grandma’s in Mexico. They are all made from scratch, even making the masa themselves with olive oil instead of animal fat.
Rosa Juarez — Antojitos Lita Rosita, Beacon Hill
📍2576 16th Ave S, Seattle
THE STORY – Rosa is from San Pedro, Villa de Tututepec, a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Serving the flavors of her hometown was always her dream. With the help of the Business Opportunity Center at El Centro de La Raza, her dream has come true. Rosa wakes up at 5am every morning to cook.
THE TAMALES – Authentic Oaxacan-style tamales — a rarer regional style in Seattle, distinct from the more common northern Mexican varieties. Served alongside tlayudas and other Oaxacan specialties. Reviewers describe them as tasting like love.
Sandra Fauvet — La Chingona Taqueria, West Seattle
📍2940 SW Avalon Way, Seattle
THE STORY – Sandra and her husband Edgar started La Chingona as a food truck in 2021 and opened their first brick-and-mortar in West Seattle in 2024. The name, “La Chingona,” means “bad ass woman.” Sandra is usually at the front greeting every diner personally, and the tamales are family recipes.
THE TAMALES – All family recipies: Chicken in red sauce, pork in green sauce, and cheese jalapeño, all homemade. One reviewer wrote they “teared up because they tasted just like my grandmother’s.”
