Description
Hallacas venezolanas is the Venezuelan signature tamale. Hallaca’s name is pronounced “Ah-Ya-Kah.” They are a pocket style Tamale pack with a stew combination of pork, chicken, and beef. Nevertheless, the ingredients vary depending on location; yet, the essence prevails.
The Hallacas venezolanas recipe incorporates European ingredients such as onions, peppers, raisins, olives, capers, and sometimes sliced almonds. However, Hallacas can have a personal touch. For example, in some areas like the Zulia state potatoes can be in the mix, it’s a thing of specific character. And in the Andes chickpeas is a must in the recipe. Hallacas—dough—is flavorful and thin and is made as a sack while tamales is like a Matzo Ball in shape. What differs an Hallaca from a Tamale? Hallacas wrap is a smoked plantain leave as opposed to all other kind of Tamales. Instead, the Tamal has the meat and dough all mix up in the wrap which is usually a corn husk. And for the most part the protein is swine-flesh.
Hallacas are part of every Venezuelan table regardless of social status. It adds a touch of grace, taste, and color not only to the Christmas but to any other celebration. Regardless of the word’s etymology, “Hallaca” is uniquely Venezuelan in name and preparation. The Mexican terminology is “Tamal.” Instead, Tamale is an Americanism due to the vicinity between the two countries. Curiously, all the names have an Aboriginal origin concluding that the dish is millenary. To show difference, “Ayúa” means to mix or stir. Thus, “ayuaca” is a mixed object that became known as “ayaca” owing to linguistic distortion. Is where the word “Hallaca” originates from the Guaraní language (a tribe in the Venezuelan Amazon.) Experts in the subject consider the creation “the crème de la crème” of Venezuelan gastronomy.
Armando Scannone a famous Venezuelan gastronomical author, defined it very well:
“The Tamal is a handful of corn with little filling. The Hallaca is an excellent filling in a refined pocket of corn.”
Directions
Hallacas are fully cooked. You will only be heating them up.
1-Fill a big pasta pot with water up to 3/4 of the pot.
2-When the water is boiling remove the plastic wrap and carefully drop the frozen Hallacas into the boiling water.
3-Once the water boils back, set the stove timer for 25 minutes.
4-After they’ve boiled for 25 minutes carefully remove Hallacas from the pot, strain excess water, and let them sit in the sink for about a minute.
5-Cut the string and carefully remove the first layer of the banana leave wrap, then open the final wrap layer gently to prevent the Hallaca from braking.
6-(Optional) Grab the last leave from each end and place the Hallaca in a flat plate on the leave, then with great finesse gently pull up to flip the Hallaca out of the leave so that it rests in the plate, and “Buen Provecho.”
History of the Hallacas
Popular Story:
Hallacas is the oldest food tradition in Venezuela and it is the most popular Christmas meal
served during the holidays. Its name is pronounced “ah-ya-ka” and it is still prepared in a
similar fashion to the colonial times; however with some modern refinements and personal touches.
The Hallaca is also the most representative icons of Venezuelan multicultural heritage, as its preparation
includes European ingredients such as raisins, nuts, olives, among others. Indigenous
ingredients like corn meal and annatto seeds, and African ingredients like plantain leaves used for wrapping.
Although there are many different stories about its origins,
the most popular one states that it was created by the slaves back in colonial times.
During those days the slaves used to put the leftovers of their master’s Christmas festivities
in a bit of cornmeal dough, then they would wrap them with banana leaves
and boil them to blend the flavors.
As many things in Venezuela, the hallaca has the influence of three cultures the white Hispanic,
the Indian, and the African. The most popular version calls for a stew with pork, chicken and beef.
In the Andean region they like to add boiled eggs into the mix. And like that every region has its
own different way of making it to give it their personal signature, as well as families.
This is also the reason why they say: “No hallaca tastes like another”. Normally they acquire a
better taste once it has cooled down and settled in the fridge for at least one day. Hallacas are very
laborious to make they require depending on the quantity hours and even days to make.
They are usually done in group, or by the whole family. Its preparation requires
organization and dedication and it constitutes a celebration by itself. Holiday music and carols are
heard during its making. Christmas drinks like Egg Nog make up the festive atmosphere.
They say that back in the years of the revolution of independence, each Christmas eve, the
wealthy families prepared huge banquets with a selected variety of meats and stews.
The next day the slaves who poked around, would collect the leftovers and wrapped them
in corn dough and the covered them with banana leaves winding up straight into big pots
boiling on wood. From this process, has evolved the recipe that has survived for centuries
and until today is still maintained; is the recipe of our popular Hallaca.
More likely this dish came from the efforts taken by the Spanish to “improve” the Tamales,
including pre-Columbian dishes, expanding the ingredients that made up the filling.
Such efforts represented an adaptation to the palate of the European colonial Spanish America.
Another account of the legends affirms that when they were building the “The Spanish Camino,”
a mountain road that connected the port of La Guaira with Caracas the Indians who inhabited
these roads ate some muffins or tamales made out of pure corn. These muffins produced a disease
caused by vitamin deficiency called pellagra, which contaminated the population. Therefore
Caracas families were asked to donate their leftover food to help fill the indians buns as did
their slaves and servants.
Fabled Story by Francisco Herrera Luque.
Francisco Herrera Luque, considered the creator of the modern Venezuelan historical literature,
whose works have been widely disseminated within and outside the borders of the country,
introduces in his book The Fabled Story, a funny theory about the origins of the hallaca.
In the story, the author argues that there is an old legend that points to Caracas Don Sancho
de Alquiza, also called Sanchorquiz, as the inventor of the Venezuelan dish. According to the
story presented by Herrera Luque, the hallaca, before having its origin in abundance, was born
of sadness and hunger.
This character, says the Venezuelan novelist, arrived in the country in 1606 and was governor
for 5 years. During his tenure, the old road of the Navy, which cuts through the “Cerro El Ávila”
to the nearby port of La Guaira, was tiled, and as expected, the hard work of extracting the
stone from the mountains and put it on the road was assigned to the Indians who survived
Lozada. However, during the process of improvement of the road, the Indians who worked there
started, dying en masse, “died like flies,” says the author. This issue captured the attention of
the governor Alquiza Sancho, who worried intends to investigate the reason for such high
mortality numbers. Upon arrival, the governor was surprised to observe the state of malnutrition
in which these men were, ensuring that it was impossible that being in such conditions they
could had been successfully resisted the attacks of conquistador Lozada. The reason for this
state was how these men were fed, under the intense and constant work they received daily.
It was a corn paste, without salt, wrapped in banana leaves so that it could be heated without
being spilled. Observing this, the governor decided that henceforth would collect half of leftovers
of all households, allocating the other half for the pigs. However, the citizens of that time valued
more a fat pig than a healthy Indian, so the animals had the best part. This happened just weeks
before Christmas right when an epidemic dysentery was unleashed, which killed more poor
Indians than the bad nutrition they had before applying the bright idea of Sanchorquiz governor.
Don Sancho, observing the situation that had occurred, met with the Bishop, who surprised
ensures that such actions could not go unpunished, he imposed penance, such consisted that
during the whole month of December people shall eat “mazacote” leftovers corn hash, wrapped
in the miserable banana leaf that had concealed the disgrace .
And Caracas met, however, they say that who makes the law also makes the trap. Century after
century, people paid their fault, but the innocent bishop did not specify the source or quality of the
mince, which at first was crap, but it was not so for the penitents, who made their well-minced
ham, good legs of chicken, olives, bacon and even leftovers wine they found there.
Hallaca descendant of tamale?
“We accept without further questioning that “The Hallaca“, our hearty national dish, derived from
the Mexican tamale, finding in it even clear phonetic relationships or Aztec roots. Perhaps right
are the ones who say such. But when I think of our robust hallaca, so filled with delicacies and
thrived compared with tamale, I think that to derive one from another is like saying that the Llama
of the Bolivian highlands is the ancestor of the Camel.
Tamales a Multicultural Tradition of Hispanic America
An essay assignment by Carlo C.
The paper was supposed to be about Hallacas, the Venezuelan version of the yellow package everyone knows as tamales. But when researching the origin of the Venezuelan holiday tradition, the investigation collided with its colleague or counterpart: El Tamal. When the word Tamales comes up, it instantly conjures Mexico because their gastronomy is the most international of all the Latin cuisines. However, Tamales are everywhere in Latin America but with noticeable alterations and local variations. This culinary delight is a tradition in every aspect around the Hispanic side of the continent. Beginning north in Mexico, to the Central/Caribbean, and way down to South America. This cultural symbol spans more than 20 countries. All inconceivably sharing the yellowish cornmeal dough stuffed or engrained with local food, which is the container of the final wrapped package. Names such as Pastelle, or Pasteles, Nacatamal, Tamal Pisques, Conkie, Pamonhas, Blue-Draws, Bollos, Humitas, and Hallacas are among the diversity of terminologies identifying the tradition. The culture began to grow and expand as Latin Music smuggle embedded in the hearts of the Africans and brought to America, who later unescapably melted with the local natives.
The native Meso-Americans made different foods with cooked or boiled cornmeal wrapped in leaves from the corn plant, plantains, bijao, maguey, avocados, or even aluminum foil and plastic. Regardless, all are Tamales. The word descends from the Nahuatl word “Tamalli,” which means wrapped. The filler might include meat, fish, veggies, chiles, fruits, sauce, beans, cheese, sour cream, etc., or it could be absent. It may also have a sweet or salty taste. Tamales were born as early as 8000–5000 BC in Mesoamerica. The indigenous cultures of Mexico and Guatemala may be the ones who introduced tamale preparation to the rest of Latin America. This last affirmation has not been proven yet by scientists and researchers. According to archaeologists Karl Taube, William Saturn, and David Stuart, Tamales may have begun as early as 100 AD. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Tamale as: “• tuh-MAH-lee • noun: cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat, or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped usually in corn husks, and steamed.” The Collins Dictionary gives us “US. Noun. a Mexican dish consisting of… And the rest is the same.” The Mexican terminology is “Tamal.” Instead, Tamale is an Americanism due to the vicinity between the two countries. Curiously, all the names have an Aboriginal origin concluding that the dish is millenary. To show difference, “Ayúa” means to mix or stir. Thus, based on this phrase, it is assumed that “ayuaca” is a mixed object that became known as “ayaca” owing to linguistic distortion. Is where the word “Hallaca” originates from the Guaraní language (a tribe in the Venezuelan Amazon.) There is also “Bojote,” another connotation meaning sort of a package.
Regardless of the word’s etymology, “Hallaca” is uniquely Venezuelan in name and preparation. Experts in the subject consider the creation “the crème de la crème” of Venezuelan gastronomy. Armando Scannone a famous Venezuelan gastronomical author, defined it very well: “The Tamal is a handful of corn with little filling. The Hallaca is an excellent filling in a refined pocket of corn.” Hallacas are part of every Venezuelan’s table regardless of social status. It adds a touch of grace, taste, and color to the Christmas celebrations. There is something holy about this tradition. Sisters Laura (a professional chef) and Emily (a food writer) from the website Mexicali Blue gave their own interpretation: “Mesoamerica believed that corn was a substance of life. Hence, the gods designated humans as corn eaters. Corn was regarded as a life-giving substance in Mesoamerica during the Mesozoic Era. In the ancient Near East, the gods are blamed for creating humans from corn. It was one of the rituals performed with wrapped Tamales.”
Before Venezuela, the country was Nueva Granada, then La Gran Colombia. Later, due to a misunderstanding between Bolivar and Santander, (centralists and federalists) were inevitably divided into different countries. So, when referring to Hallacas, they can also be from Colombia, Ecuador, and down to Argentina; however, with their evident differences.
Making Hallacas is a fun thing. I know this firsthand because we used to make them at home when I was growing up during the holiday season. I remember when the time came to make them, one would be assigned a position in the assembly line. It usually takes two days to make enough Hallacas for the whole season. On the first day, fillings and all the toppings must be bought or made. The plantain leaves need care and preparation. The leaves need a cleansing treatment. Some people smothered them with vinegar. Others use direct fire to burn bacteria. It has the same effect. Then, the selection process follows. Pockets or wraps. Cut to size and organized by function for the wrapping. Chicken broth for the masa also belongs to the first day. Once the preparation is ready, the fun begins. The process will reach a point where no more Hallacas can be made for lack of ingredients. So, all the leftovers are mixed together and thrown into the masa to make bollos. A sort of Venezuelan Tamale. The last step is to cook them thoroughly. Depending on the filling (pre-cooked or raw,) the latter must be boiled inside the masa for a longer time for obvious reasons (about 4 hours). This gathering creates a joyful bonding in the family group. The aroma from the achiote and the scent of the plantain leaves are so intense that can be smelled in the distance. Holliday music, Carols, and Gaitas (Venezuelan Christmas Folk) are the melody that surrounds the scented party house. Neighbors usually join the fun to lend a hand and collect their share at the end of the event. Usually, they walk back home with at least two Hallacas.
In conclusion, corn was dominated and developed by the Pre-Hispanics and in fusion with the conquistador’s influence and ingredients, created all the variety of Tamales, Hallacas, Pasteles, etc. Naturally, geographical positioning plays a role in the ingredients, styles, and flavors. So, if life brings a wrapped yellow corn dough in a husk or plantain leave to your dish, do not forget you are eating the holly food from the African/American/Aboriginal ancestors.
References:
Ragoonanan, Nita. “Tamales Pisques.” 196 Flavors, 30 Dec. 2022, www.196flavors.com/tamales-pisques/.
Amaryah, Amara. “Tamales: The Dish That Connects the Caribbean and the Americas Back to Africa.” Travel Noire, 8 Feb. 2022, travelnoire.com/tamales-dish-that-connects-caribbean-and-americas-back-to-africa.
González, Lamberto. “El Tamal y Sus Orígenes.” Tamales Emporio, www.tamales.com.mx/pages/el-tamal-y-sus-origenes#:~:text=La%20evidencia%20arqueológica%20muestra%20al,religiosos%2C%20en%20ofrendas%20y%20tumbas.Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.
Emily, Laura. “How to Make Tamales for Christmas Eve – Mexicali Blue.” Mexicali Blue, www.mexicali-blue.com/how-to-make-tamales-for-christmas-eve/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.
Yonekura, Kaoru. “¿En Qué Se Diferencian La Hallaca y El Tamal?: Bienmesabe.” El Estímulo, Accessed 12 Dec 2023, elestimulo.com/bienmesabe/hallacas/2023-12-12/diferencias-entre-la-hallaca-y-el-tamal/.
