Comment dit-on "tamale" en français?

I love Mexican food! Granted my own latin roots are back in Havana, I did grow up in Southern California, where even the restaurant Mexican food can taste homemade. From fresh salsa to tortas to enchiladas verdes to carne asada to flan...I can never be tired of eating Mexican food. (Okay, Cubanos make flan, too. Speaking of Cuban food...I know of a pretty good restaurant in Culver City, if you're interested.)

Living on the east coast has made my affection for this particular cuisine grow even stronger. And what I long for most is a really, really, REALLY good tamale...preferably homemade (um...Sra. Ramos...¿por favor?). What's not to love about a tamale? It even comes in cool, biodegradable packaging (corn husk, banana leaves)! And the goodness tucked away inside can be a pleasant surprise...pollo, carne, queso...

I've yet to find a tamale east of the Mississippi that comes close to what I could get back home in LA. While I was in NYC last week, visiting friends, we ordered a promising "tamale oaxaqueño" from a local Mexican restaurant. Utter disappointment. The good folks down in Oaxaca would be shamed to have their state's name attached to that sad excuse for a tamale. Don't get me wrong...the presentation was great, but the taste left much to be desired.

Moving to Paris (or London for that matter) will put me even farther away from these delicious treats. My solution: learn how to prepare tamales before I leave the States...or convince my friend's mom to visit me abroad...often.