In the Mississippi Delta, hot tamales are almost as iconic as the blues. They’ve grown up together, intertwined in the region’s culture. Tamales have appeared in songs since the 1920s, and their origins are the subject of much debate. Some believe Mexican laborers brought them to the Delta while working the cotton harvests in the early 20th century. Others trace them back even further, to soldiers returning from the Mexican-American War. Still others argue their history runs much deeper, rooted in the maize-growing traditions of Native American cultures. Whatever their…
