Street vendor Yoly Pérez sells chicken, cheese and pork tamales near the 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles. Pérez’s tamalitos — a smaller, bite-sized version of a tamal — are a fan favorite among her customers and were created by Pérez to give them a taste of her passion. Christian Cárzares reports for the NBC4 News on Dec. 25, 2023.
Tamales are a traditional Latin food that are very popular during the Christmas season. It is a dough dish usually cooked in corn or banana leaves in various flavors and sizes.
A local vendor has given it a personal twist that has won over several customers in Los Angeles.
At the corner of Venice Boulevard and Veteran Avenue near the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles, you will find Yoly Perez selling her delicious tamales.
"I have some with no chile for you to try," says Doña Yoly to one of her customers.
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Day after day customers come to the stand to choose between chicken, cheese or pork tamales but it's the tamalito that many make the trip to try.
"Oh, thank you, how small," says another customer.
The vendor explains that the size of her tamale makes customers have a different appreciation for this dish. "There are very nice experiences with the tamalito," said Perez.
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"I put a little bit of chicken, not too much because it doesn't close and then I fold it and knead it," said Perez as she cooked her tamalitos.
One by one she prepares each tamalito at midnight and cooks them during the early morning for her customers. A task she has been doing for years after a sour memory.
"I once had an experience of buying a tamale. I was very hungry and it tasted horrible and I threw it away and wasted my money. I don't want the same thing to happen to people. I want you to try it so you don't spend the money," said Perez.
Soon after Perez realized such a simple concept after receiving a food sample from a supermarket worker.
"And they were telling me, 'I'll open a bag for you.' He said, 'you're the customer and I do whatever you ask for.' I said, 'wow,' and I felt very special," Perez recalls.
From that moment on she focused on offering a taste of her culinary passion to the customer and that's how she created the tamalito.
A small bite but she assures us that it is made with a lot of patience and love for each person.
"The tamalito does give (economically), but for one person it is difficult. I just made 600 and it took me a week and a half. That's why I explain to customers when I'm not there it's because I'm making tamales," says Perez.
The vendor assures that many have ventured to try the tamales because of their size. "Thank God they like them and they leave happy."
