The ticucos, being an adaptation of tamales, have their origin in Mesoamerica. From there, they spread to Mexico, El Salvador, and the rest of Central and South America.
The origin of the name
The word ticuco derives from the expression “panzón”. Generally, ticucos do not contain meat but are considered a side dish. However, when they were first made, there was no maize like today; the precursor of modern maize was teocintle, which served as the base for the tamal.
After the Spanish conquistadors destroyed the civilizations, the story of these dishes spread to Catholic and Christian traditions as we know them today.
Many families prepare ticucos or tamales for special occasions like Christmas or Holy Week.
Small tamales
Ticucos, like tamales, can be quite labor-intensive if made from scratch, with up to 120 steps.
This makes it much more convenient to buy pre-made dough from the store when they decide to make them for sale, and even more convenient for me because I enjoy them, as I did this weekend when my mom surprised me with tamales she had made recently.
