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We have two different tamales here in Batangas. One is the plain sticky rice with sugar syrup and fried desiccated coconut and the other one is the stuffed tamales with wet-milled non-glutinous rice, the one popularized in the town of Ibaan.
So which one is the real Tamales?
The tamales made of sticky rice (termed locally as malagkit), drizzled with coconut latik, is also called suman in some parts of Batangas. But in Lipa and here in Mataasnakahoy, we call that rectangular shaped rice-based dessert/snack as tamales and the elongated tube-like one is the suman.
Although the pork stuffed tamales is known in Batangas City, Rosario, Padre Garcia, and Taal, it is more associated with the town of Ibaan. You can enjoy the stuffed tamales anytime of the day as it can be a snack or be eaten as part of a full meal because of the meat and slices of boiled egg stuffing it contains.
Tamales may contain chicken strips or chopped pork meat along with the orange-colored (thanks to atsuete) and nutty-flavored filling.
So which one is the real tamales? We say both. 🙂
Tamales photo #2: wisemonkeysblog.com
Last Updated: September 5, 2013
