# Traditional Tamale Toppings?



## Mr_Dove

What are traditional tamale toppings?  My wife and I tend to use sour cream and salsa but that's nowhere near authentic or traditional.


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## Shunka

Try a good colorado (red chile' sauce; a good green chile' sauce is good too) sauce and then the sour cream!! I also add just butter to the tamales at times. When I want to make more of a meal with 2 tamales, I will add the red sauce, sour cream, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, black olives and a bit of grated cheese.


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## Lugaru

In theory they dont "need" a topping but people cant help doing it. A good colorado like Shunka say's is really nice, or a good side of spicy beans. 

As for absolutely insane? The dreaded "nachotamal" that a place in my hometown sold. You start with a tamal in a very large styrofoam container. Cover it in tortilla chips and bathe these in spicy, runny beans. On tops of this you pour tons of homemade nacho cheese, jalapeno slices and crumbled dry white cheese. By the time your full you realize that there's a tamal somewhere down there you havent even touched yet.


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## Shunka

Oh Lugaru!! That is definitely a new one on me. I have to say that 9 out of 10 times, I just put some butter on the tamales and dig in!! Of course they are good the next day cold and plain, if you happen to have any leftover!


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