United States Mississippi Clarksdale
Hicks Tamales & BBQ Shop
- 305 South State Street
- (662) 624-9887
Tips from the community
Another Clarksdale tamale favorite is Hick’s Famous Tamales. Eugene Hicks, the proprietor and head tamale maker has been making tamales since he learned the art back in the 1960s when he was just 16 years old, getting his first recipe from an old man selling tamales on the street. Over the years, Hicks has expanded his offerings to include BBQ, rib tips, and more.
jvandergriff 11 months ago
Hicks Tamales & BBQ Shop Guides
The Delta Tamale Trail
jvandergriff (Jody Vandergriff) The “Cotton Rush” of the turn of the last century brought all sorts of cultures and nationalities to the Mississippi Delta. One such group were the Mexicans who could make more picking cotton in the Delta than they could make anywhere else in the country. Of course they brought their food with them, and the “hot tamale” was introduced to the African-American laborers who worked beside them. That’s one theory, anyway. Other theories suggest that tamale recipes were brought back from the Mexican-American War, or that the Native Americans had been making tamales all along. However they got here, we’re glad they did! At any rate, the popularity of the tamale took off because of their portability, affordability, and full flavor. You may ask yourself how the Mexican tamale is different from the Delta tamale. According to the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Delta tamale differs in that, “Tamales from the Mississippi Delta are smaller than Latin-style tamales, are simmered instead of steamed, have a gritty texture from the use of corn meal instead of corn flour, have considerably more spice, and are usually served with juice that is the byproduct of simmering.” There are dozens of great places to try the different varieties of Delta Tamales (some places even deep fry them) throughout the region and we’re going to name some of them below. And if you’re really, really into tamales, you don’t want to miss the Delta Hot Tamale Festival which takes place in Greenville every October