Video: Portrait Of A Chicago Tamale Lady

A Chicago chef friend posted this video on Facebook over the weekend. “The music and the editing are pretty dramatic, but I love Chicago street tamales," he wrote. “Support your street tamale people.” Indeed, street tamales are pretty badass in the Chi. But, more importantly, the people behind the tamales (mostly poor Mexican immigrants) have stories too, and should be supported. Here’s one of them, the profile of an illiterate woman named Marciala who struggles to make ends meet selling tamales in her neighborhood, Logan Square. It’s a sobering little story that you probably won’t find on the more upbeat Food Network. But, regardless, it’s an important story to tell. 

More videos on Food Republic:

• Top 8: Food-Related Clips On 'Portlandia'
• Watch 2 Chefs Wrestle A Live Eel During An Almost Fatal Cooking Demo
• The Plating Of Alinea’s Lamb 86 Is Art. Art, People!