From making tamales to starting a Mexican eatery, mum's the word

Making tamales stirred up memories of Ms Maribel Colmenares' late mother, so much so that she could not stop crying as she prepared the traditional Mexican staple for her home-based business.

- Hedy Khoo

Her mother - Ms Carmen Maria del Rocio Colmenares Martinez, who died of pneumonia in Mexico in January 2020 - was the one who inspired the self-taught chef to start selling tamales in Singapore in January 2019.

"I was devastated and could not make tamales without crying. Making them stirred up so many memories of the times when my mother and I prepared them together," says Ms Colmenares, 38, who was born in Puebla in Mexico. She moved to Singapore in 2014.

An only child, she was exceptionally close to her mother - a single parent who raised her by holding a full-time job as an administrative executive at a food manufacturer while selling tamales on weekends.

After her mum's death, she grieved as she struggled to fulfil a string of outstanding orders.

"If my grandmother was alive, she would have scolded me as she always said tamales must be made when you are happy," she says.

Coming to terms with her mother's death, Ms Colmenares found that making tamales allowed her to feel connected to her mother and her heritage.

"Being creative with tamales is a gift from my mother. Committing to the business she saw me start is one way to preserve her legacy."

Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made from corn dough with a variety of fillings, from meat to vegetables. They are wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed until tender.

Ms Colmenares' home-based business, Tamales Mexicanos en Singapur, offers Mexican fare, with tamales taking centre stage. Her customers include expatriates and locals.

A highlight is the six-piece family pack of tamales ($52), with six fillings to choose from. They include Mole Poblano, which has a filling made of chicken, Mexican chillies, chocolate and bananas; and Pibil, which is chicken cooked with annatto seeds and orange juice.