CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tamale season in Corpus Christi is year-round, normally picking up the pace during the holidays, but the cost of making tamales has sky rocketed.
"Just the 'maseca' for example used to be $27 a bag and now it's $41 and the oil too. It used to be $28 a jug and now it's $42," said Melissa Martinez, media relations for Granny's Tamales.
Just down the road to the Valley or San Antonio, some tamale ingredients are cheaper, but going to get them still means spending money.
"We say 'it's cheaper,'" said Jose Huerta, the Owner of Huerta's Tamales, "but it's not because that's a day of work that we lose and the gas".
As a last resort, some places raised the price of their tamales. For Huerta, it was a hard pill to swallow.
"Customers come and say 'hey, now they cost a $1 more'. It's difficult for me to tell them, personally. It's not easy to tell the people that they cost more, but we have to do it," Huerta added.
The colder days ahead will welcome the start of a busy tamale season, and those are the days Granny's and Huerta's tamales look forward to the most.
"We give them thanks, and we hope they keep coming and helping us out," Huerta said.
Both vendors add that community and culture play a large role in why they're still in in business.
"We've been in business for 26 years and we hope to continue with the support of Corpus Christi, but tradition is still a tradition and whether you're making tamales on your own or you're buying from us, we hope you share that with your family," said Martinez.
Both Granny's and Huerta's are open year round. Huerta's recently changed locations and is now on staples in front of Crunch Fitness.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Accident claims the life of Kiewit scaffold builder working on offshore rig
- Dogs in shelter for 60+ days looking to find a forever home
- From Texas, with love: Here's how you can help those affected by Hurricane Ian
- Are CC business' COVID relief grants legitimate? Better Business Bureau weighs in
- Her girlfriend was killed and she was left for dead in a brutal attack at a Texas park. A new documentary outlines the story of her recovery.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Want to send us a news tip?
Put your name and contact information below so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.