My sister recently married into a Central American family and my mother-in-law gave me a bunch of tamales, but I accidentally left them at my Dad’s place. I got them today and he admitted he ate one but said the “outer layer was really stringy and tough”.
Thing is I’m 90% sure I’ve had tamales with this man before.
I think banana leaves are used more in the southern parts of Central America.
…we used banana leaves in puerto rico; they use corn husks here in texas…