Quick Take
El Rosal Bakery in Live Oak serves tamales all year round, but makes "thousands" a day in December in order to fulfill holiday orders. The shop, located in the East Cliff Village shopping center, claims to make the best tamales in town.
One of the best things to unwrap on Christmas isn’t the latest gadget or a new toy — it’s a piping-hot tamale from El Rosal Bakery in Live Oak. This bakery and market is tucked back next to the Dollar Tree in a corner of the East Cliff Village shopping center, and claims to have the best tamales in town. While admittedly there isn’t much competition in northern Santa Cruz County, El Rosal’s tamales would give any challengers a run for their money.
Walking through the doorway to El Rosal from the gray shopping center is like stepping from black-and-white film into Technicolor. Cheerful papel picado flags and colorful piñatas hang from the ceiling, the market shelves are stacked with packaged snacks and treats, and a pastry case of housemade panes dulces shines in the back of the bakery.
Immediately, the aroma of cornmeal and chilis hits your senses, warming you to your bones. On one December afternoon, a consistent lunch rush of tamale-hungry patrons snaked its way around the bakery while friendly but slightly harried-looking servers used tongs to place tamales and seashell-like concha pastries into plastic bags.
Tamales are a traditional Mexican and Central American dish made of masa stuffed with homemade fillings like pulled pork in red chili sauce ($3.99), shredded chicken in a spicy tomatillo sauce ($3.59) and cheese and roasted jalapeño ($3.59), then steamed in either a corn husk or banana leaf. Most of the tamales at El Rosal are savory, but there are dessert flavors, like the elote tamal ($3.59) made with sweet corn, sugar and baking spices.
All of the tamales are made on-site by a team of bakers who work around the clock during the holiday season. While tamales are eaten and sold at El Rosal all year round, they are often enjoyed around Christmas. In December, the bakery sells “thousands” of tamales a day for holiday orders, a shopkeeper told me.
I bought a dozen different tamales to take home to my family, but ordered one tamal preparado ($7.99), loaded with toppings like fresh vegetables, salsa, sour cream and crumbly cotija cheese, to enjoy more immediately. The masa was tender and rich, and filled with pork in a spicy red chili sauce, and was deeply satisfying on a cold winter day.
Tamales freeze well, can be steamed to reheat and served with salsa and fresh toppings. El Rosal is open until 8 p.m. this Saturday and until 3 p.m. this Christmas Eve Sunday, and takes orders through its website and over the phone at 831-462-1308.
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