Emma's Tamales

Before Never Felt Better Vegan Shop closed a few months ago, I used to stop in from time to time to buy the vegan tamales made by Mother Earth's Baked Goods. This past weekend, I had a craving for those delicious tamales, so I decided to go right to the source and buy some for lunch. Fortunately, Emma's Tamales, which is where they are made, is right here in Sacramento.

For my lunch, I ordered a Chipotle Tofu Veggie tamale and an Original Savory half-pound tamale. The Chipotle Tofu Veggie tamale was spicy and very good, filled with corn, onions, chipotle sauce, and chunks of organic tofu made locally by Sacramento Tofu Co. Even better, though, was the Original Savory tamale, filled with a mixture of pinto beans, peanut butter, tomato sauce, green chiles, and various herbs and spices. It was outstanding! And since it seems like the number one question that vegans hear from non-vegans is "Where do you get your protein?", let me just point out that this baby contains eighteen grams of protein. I liked it so much that I bought a package of four to take home with me for future lunches.

Emma's Tamales also offers a delicious vegan tamale filled with pineapple, raisins, and coconut, which is perfect for breakfast or dessert. They used to make wonderful vegan pumpkin tamales for Never Felt Better Vegan Shop, but apparently the pumpkin tamales currently on their menu contain egg white.

Located in South Sacramento at 8101 Elder Creek Road, Unit P, at the corner of Power Inn Road and Elder Creek Road, Emma's Tamales is described on its menu as a "Tamale Factory Outlet and Omnivorous Eatery by the producers of Mother Earth's Natural Foods." It occupies a small space in a large warehouse building, and you can either buy your tamales to go or eat them at one of the tables set up on the premises. Their phone number is 916-387-6324, and their website address is http://www.emmastamales.com/. They are open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They are closed on Sunday.