Market Snack · Corn Masa Tamale

Chuchitos

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

The name means 'little dogs' — chucho is Central American slang for dog — and nobody agrees on why the tamales got it.

Chuchitos are small tamales of firm corn masa filled with seasoned pork or chicken in a mild tomato sauce, wrapped tightly in a dried corn husk and steamed until set. Market and street stalls sell them hot.

Why it's made this way: The dish traces back to Maya traditions of wrapping and steaming corn dough in husks, later filled with Spanish-introduced pork and chicken.