The Green Corn Tamale At El Cholo In Southern California Is So Good That The Recipe Hasn’t Changed Since 1923
By Natasha Kayes|Published October 27, 2022
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Natasha Kayes
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I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
You’ve heard the cliches so many times. Why mess with a good thing? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We could go on, but you get it. When something is great, it should be left as is, right? Well, that applies to food and recipes too, and El Cholo restaurant knows that better than anyone. With roots that began in Sonora, Mexico, the original kitchen opened almost 100 years ago, and some of the recipes used at its inception have remained unchanged. Dishes made exactly as they were in 1923 fill many loyal customers with fond memories and continue to draw new customers regularly. In fact, these Green Corn Tamales are a Southern California institution.
Green Corn Tamales have been on the menu since its beginnings in 1923, the recipe having been brought from Mexico by one of the founders in 1917.
Why are they called "green corn tamales," you ask? Unlike most tamales, these beauties are steamed in their own fresh green husks.
Handmade since 1923 with fresh corn cut from the cob and filled with cheddar cheese and Ortega chilies, these historic tamales are only available from May to October each year.
Customers flood the dining rooms when they are in season.
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Another original is the legendary handmade flour tortilla. The 100-year-old Sonoran recipe includes a secret ingredient - milk - and is unlike any tortilla you will find elsewhere.
In its early days, the restaurant would serve waiting customers a warm flour tortilla with butter and salsa, not the free chips and salsa most restaurants serve. But times have changed, and El Cholo caters to public demand in some ways, including chips and salsa served ahead of the meal. However, the original tortillas are still made by hand daily and available to order on their own or as a quesadilla.
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Another unchanged 1923 recipe, Joe’s Traditional Albondigas, a Mexican meatball soup, was named after the restaurant’s original chef. This is comfort food that never gets old.
Since early in its history, El Cholo’s owners have been dedicated to using the highest quality ingredients. This of course includes cheese, which is abundant in the restaurant’s recipes, including the wildly popular Carmen’s Nachos.
This determination is actually what caused the original owners to start buying 60-pound cheese wheels and aging the cheese themselves for at least one year. By doing this, they made sure they had the best tasting, and apparently the best-melting, cheese possible for their dishes.
In the 1960s, El Cholo added margaritas to the menu, and its world-famous “El Cholo Margarita,” made using the original 1967 recipe and served on the rocks, is still on the menu.
El Cholo has become known for margaritas, no doubt because its dedication to using the highest-quality ingredients applies as much to its beverages as to the food they accompany.
El Cholo is part of Los Angeles history and is deeply rooted in family tradition, which now spans five generations.
The current owner’s great-grandparents started the legacy with Sonora Cafe, and his great-grandmother was the source of many of the recipes on the menu, including the Green Corn Tamales that have customers counting the days until the season starts.
The name “El Cholo” began with this figure, which was sketched by a customer on a menu while he waited for his meal in 1927.
Spanish field hands in California were, at the time, referred to as "El Cholo" and both the drawing and the name were immediately adopted by the owner. Sonora Cafe (the restaurant’s original name) became El Cholo, and the figure can still be seen on the restaurant’s menus and signs.
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El Cholo has six Southern California locations, and each one celebrates its history and humble beginnings.
Though the building features vary from location to location, the recipes, service, and family atmosphere are the same.
Have you tried the Green Corn Tamales at an El Cholo Restaurant in Southern California? If you are a regular, which location do you love? Keep up with El Cholo news and fun on Facebook.
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