DELTA TAMALES ON SQUIDOO

Luke Duncan, author of the "Rolling Along the Tamale Trail" article in the Oct./Nov. issue of Y'All magazine, has created a tamale page on Squidoo. Check it out!

Photo by Luke Duncan.

TAMALE TRAIL IN Y'ALL MAGZINE

Check out the eight-page spread on the Tamale Trail by local writer Luke Duncan that appears in the Nov./Dec. 2007 issue of Y'All magazine.

By the way, the tamale painting that opens the article was created by SFA oral historian (and artist) Amy Evans.

TAMALES IN DREW

It used to be that the only time you could get tamales in Drew was when the Hot Tamale Heaven truck came to town on weekends. But now, Walter and Jessie Sculark sell HTH's tamales at their new restaurant, Drew Fast Food & Bar-B-Q, every Friday and Saturday.

For those of you who know Drew, the Sculark's used to have the PC Diner, where they served a mean meat-and-three. Unfortunately, they're focusing on short orders now, but Mrs. Sculark is still making her killer sweet potato pie, the perfect thing to follow a meal of tamales.

2007 Ruth Fertel Keeper of the Flame: Elizabeth Scott, Scott's Hot Tamales

As part of last week's Southern Foodways Symposium, the Southern Foodways Alliance honored tamale maker Elizabeth Scott with the 2007 Ruth Fertel Keeper of the Flame Award. Part of this recognition includes a cash award, as well as the production of a short film documenting her six decades in the tamale business. The film premiered at the symposium. A clip will be featured here soon.

Congratulations, Mrs. Scott!

SCOTT'S HOT TAMALES SHIPS!

The fine folks at Scott's Hot Tamales in Greenville are now shipping their handmade bundles of meat and meal. Give them a call, if you need a fix.

Scott's Hot Tamales
Tamale kitchen: (662) 335-1737
Tamale stand: (662) 332-4013

And check out these other vendors who ship:

Vendors who ship regularly:
Hicks' World Famous Hot Tamales & More
Pasquale's Hot Tamales

Vendor's who are willing to ship:
Maria's Famous Hot Tamales
Big Jim Cole: (662) 645-5600

MOTHER-IN-LAW SANDWICHES IN SAVEUR MAGAZINE

Pick up the October 2007 issue of Saveur magazine to read John T. Edge's essay, "Mother-in-Law Mystery," about the strange tamale-filled buns found on Chicago's South Side.

Visit our Chicago Connection page to find out what the Delta tamales just might have to do with mother-in-law sandwiches.

TAMALE TRAIL FEATURED IN AAA'S SOUTHERN TRAVELER MAGAZINE

Read about the Tamale Trail in the September/October issue of AAA's Southern Traveler magazine. Writer Suzanne Corbet's article, "Tamale Trail," takes you from Tunica to Greenville, stopping at plenty of places along the way. A few of the tamale joints that are featured include Ervin's, Abe's, Hicks', Joe's Hot Tamale Place, John's Homestyle, Doe's Eat Place, and Scott's Hot Tamales.

JOE POPE BOULEVARD

Rosedale Mayor Carey Estes stands next to Joe Pope, Jr. at the Joe Pope
Boulevard dedication ceremony. Photo courtesy of Sara Coleman, The
Bolivar Commercial.


Sara Coleman
Boliver Commercial Staff Writer
Published August 20, 2007 3:27 PM CDT

Family members and friends of legendary hot tamale-maker Joe Pope gathered Saturday to dedicate Rosedale's Main Street, Miss. Highway 1, as Joe Pope Boulevard. "I want to say how proud I am for all of you to come out and participate in this event ... I want to thank each one of you. You know what this means to me to be able to be a part of this dedication," said Rosedale Mayor Carey Estes....

The renaming of Main Street to Joe Pope Boulevard stems from a desire of Rosedale's citizens, first voiced in July 2005, to honor Joe for his achievements and contributions to the community.

Pope, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 80, owned and operated the popular White Front Cafe -- Joe's Hot Tamale Place -- on Rosedale's Main Street for approximately 35 years prior to his death.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

THE LATE JOE POPE HONORED IN ROSEDALE

The town of Rosedale, Mississippi, is honoring the late Joe Pope by naming part of Highway 1 in his honor. This Saturday, August 18th, at 4 o'clock, a short ceremony will be held oalong the new Joe Pope Road. Joe Pope's mother, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Saturday, will be in attendance, as will Joe's sister, Barbara Pope. Barbara has been making the tamales for Joe's Hot Tamale Place/White Front Cafe, since her brother passed away in December 2004.

Go here to read the interview with Barbara Pope.

FEASTING ON TAMALES

Catch the Mississippi Delta Hot Tamale Trail on Alton Brown's Food Network show Feasting on Asphalt. The Tamale Trail is featured in Episode 3, "Soul Food Survivor," and premiers on Saturday, August 18, at 9 p.m. EST. Check local listings. And check the Food Network site for the rebroadcast schedule.

Thanks again, Alton, for hittin' the Tamale Trail!

ALTON BROWN ON THE TAMALE TRAIL

Alton Brown and his crew were in the Delta yesterday, filming a segment for his Food Network show, Feasting on Asphalt. They started their tamale trek in Greenville, where they visited Doe's Eat Place and Scott's Hot Tamales. Then I--Amy Evans, SFA oral historian--met them in Rosedale at Joe's Hot Tamale Place, where Barbara Pope plied us with tamales and Kool Aid pickles. We then traveled to Clarksdale, where we were supposed to meet up with Big Jim Cole at his tamale stand on State Street. Unfortunately, Big Jim didn't make it (sorry we missed you, Big Jim! We filmed at your place, though, so here's hoping it makes the cut). While we were there, Alton Brown fan Mattie Davis (pictured here) stopped to get an autograph. Evidently, Alton has quite a fan base in the Mississippi Delta.

Alton was keen on getting some footage at the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49, so we headed back down the street to Abe's Bar-B-Q. We bellied up to the counter and had Abe's famous Tamaco (tamales covered in chili, cheese, lettuce and tomato), as well as some bbq. Then, unfortunately, it was time to call it a day. I headed home, and Alton and crew headed to Arkansas.

Alton is blogging about his thirty-day trek up the Mississippi River for Feasting on Asphalt on his website. You can get the scoop right here. The Tamale Trail adventure appears in the "Day 3" entry.

Feasting on Asphalt will appear on the Food Network this August, every Saturday night. Since the Delta fell early in their itinerary, look for the Tamale Trail to appear in one of the first few episodes.

Thanks Alton and crew for a great afternoon in the Delta and for stopping long enough to eat more than a few Mississippi Delta hot tamales and meet the fine, fine people who make them. Y'all are welcome back to these parts any time!

GET HOT TAMALES SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR!

Due to the wonderful exposure the Tamale Trail received in Relish Magazine recently (a great article written by our friend and tamale lover, Brooks Hamaker), we have been inundated with requests for names of tamales vendors who will ship their wares. There are a couple who have an established mail order businesses and a couple who are willing to satisfy people's tamale cravings far and wide. But most people featured here might just ship you a dozen, if you ask, so take some time to meet the folks along the Tamale Trail and decide whose tamales you might like to try. Better yet, come to the Delta to taste them all!

Vendors who ship regularly:
Hicks' World Famous Hot Tamales & More
Pasquale's Hot Tamales

Vendor's who are willing to ship:
Maria's Famous Hot Tamales
Big Jim Cole: (662) 645-5600

Again, don't be shy about calling other folks featured here to see if they'll send some hot tamales your way.

Happy eating!

BIG JIM'S IN CLARKSDALE

Big Jim's has been one of the mapped locations on the Tamale Trail since the project appeared online in 2005. Owner, Big Jim Cole, has been a friend and fan of the project ever since. He welcomes Trail travelers, and he has even made catfish tamales, per our request. And now, Big Jim has been interviewed. Look for his oral history to appear here in the coming months. In the meantime, if you happen to find yourself in Clarksdale, make sure to pay Big Jim a call and enjoy some of his homemade red hots

PRESS FOR THE TAMALE TRAIL

The Tamale Trail was recently featured in Relish Magazine, as well as The Southern Quarterly. Joe's Hot Tamale Place/ White Front Cafe is the cover image for the Winter 2007 edition of The Southern Quarterly.

**TAMALE TRAIL WINS AWARD**

The Mississippi Delta Hot Tamale Trail is the recipient of the 2006 Elbert R. Hilliard Award for Outstanding Oral History Project, which is awarded by the Mississippi Historical Society. From their website: "The oral history award recognizes as merited oral history projects exemplifying a distinguished collection, high-quality preservation, and proper use of oral history."

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project that documents the history, tradition and culture of hot tamales in the Mississippi Delta. Most of all, thank you to the tamale makers and vendors who have shared their stories.

Look for more interviews to appear online this summer.

The SFA received the same award in 2005 for their Doe's Eat Place Oral History Project.

TAMALES & DONUTS IN GREENWOOD

A stone's throw from oak-lined Grand Blvd. in Greenwood, Honest Abe's Donuts is frequented by folks with a morning sugar tooth. But you can get hot tamales here, too--sweet and savory in one stop. As far as we know, it doesn't matter which you eat first.

Visit our Tamale Trail map to find your way to Honest Abe's front door.