What is a Tati's Tamale and How did we Get Here...
The Beginning
The Beginning
The Beginning
These are my Duran grandparents. Together with my father's parents, the Cisneros side of the family, they created a home full of joy, love, and most of all, unforgettable food. Both of my grandmothers shared a deep love for making tamales, often gathering to prepare them as a family. We loved to eat them just as much as they loved to make them. Their combined skills and cherished recipes came together to create a truly special tamale. One that, year after year, only my mom Ruby could recreate perfectly, without ever needing a written recipe.
Tradition
The Beginning
The Beginning
This is my mom, Ruby. She has lovingly handled our family’s tamale tradition for years after our grandparents went to their heavenly home. She never complained. She truly enjoyed making them, and I believe that’s where my own passion and love for the tamale craft began.
After watching her create these perfect little morsels of deliciousness year after year without a written recipe, purely through memory! I finally made her sit down so we could write the recipe together. Every teaspoon, cup, tablespoon, and pinch. I painstakingly documented it, driven by the fear of ever losing it one day.
Carried On
The Beginning
Carried On
And here I am — Nestecha. Most people just call me Tati (because, let’s be honest, no one could ever pronounce Nestecha right!).
I took over tamale-making about ten years ago, carrying on the tradition that’s been passed down through generations. After hearing my family, especially my uncles, Richard Cisneros and Juan Duran, and my tamale-loving aunt Anita Duran (who truly can eat tamales every single day) rave about how good they were, I finally decided it was time to share them with the world. This business is my way of honoring those voices, flavors, and memories. My promise is to bring that same tamale love into your home with every bite made just the way our family always has: with care, tradition, and heart.