Believe it or not, Christmas is only four weeks away. In LA, tamales are a huge part of the holiday season. Many people place their special orders with their favorite tamale vendor; others purchase masa (corn dough) and enjoy tamale-making as a family experience. I’ve tried a number of tamale vendors and my current favorite is La Indiana in East LA.
La Indiana is conveniently located on Indiana St. a few hundred feet from the I-5 freeway. It is probably best described as a Mexican delicatessen because they feature a limited number of prepared food items and a small market with Mexican specialty items. Despite their claim to be “The Best Kept Secret in Los Angeles”, they usually appear on various top tamale lists.
The family-owned business is led by patriarch Raúl Ramos. He has worked for the family business since 1987. In starting, Ramos familiarized himself with the family business by preparing the salsa and making and refining masa that is known to be fluffier than other tamale vendors.
I recently departed on a tamale run to La Indiana and I was happy to find street parking directly across the street. Traditional Mexican music was playing in the backroom kitchen and some of the staff were singing to the lyrics. It was a good vibe. Best of all, there was only one person in line at the counter.
I often tell my friends that the price of the food is reflected by the rent that the business pays. On the westside, tamales range from $3.50 – $5.00. At La Indiana, they range from $1.65 – $1.97. La Indiana also has a price break at a half dozen and another one at one dozen.
Their use of labeled wax paper (e..g, cheese with jalapeño) makes it easy to select your tamale without having to reveal the insides. Their tamales are pleasantly moist and fluffy. The tamales aren’t “all masa” and contain a substantial amount of filling. Their most popular tamale is the red chile with pork. I enjoy their house-made red salsa. Ask for that instead of the vendor made salsa.
I also purchased two gorditas. These are savory pastries made with masa and filled with a variety of meat, vegetables, and cheese. I favored the rajas con queso over the chorizo con potato. The rajas gordita is made with sliced poblano chiles and melted cheese.
A gordita in Mexican cuisine is a pastry made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings. It is similar to a pasty and to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. Gordita means “chubby” in Spanish.
On Sundays, they offer menudo, a spicy Mexican soup usually made from tripe, hominy, potatoes, Mexican chiles, and various spices. It is a popular way to address a hangover. A medium-sized bowl is $8.50 and a large is $16.00.
The retail operation includes a fair amount of items used in Mexican cuisine. All of the ingredients necessary to make tamales are available. You’ll also find the ingredients needed to make pozole and menudo. In addition to their savory items, La Indiana also stocks candy and many Mexican confections.
If you end up purchasing tamales in December, make sure you order in advance! La Indiana gets crowded during the holiday season.
La Indiana Tamales, 1142 S Indiana St, Los Angeles, CA 90023; 323.262.4682