National Tamale Day was first celebrated on March 23, 2015. Santa Barbara native Richard Lambert, who’s well known for his tamale-making classes and his Tamales-To-Go business, was integral in the holiday’s creation. Here’s how that happened.
Tell us about your roots. I was born in Santa Barbara. My great-great-grandfather settled here in 1869. From those days to this, Santa Barbara has been a big part of our family’s life, and we’re all huge tamale fans. Beach parties, potlucks, Fiesta celebrations — any time we get together, there’s the fragrance of freshly made tamales in the air.
When did you start your tamale business? During my aunt’s 90th birthday party in 2012, family members joked that it was time our home city had a tamale named after it. We voted, and that’s how Santa Barbara Tamales-To-Go was born. I became the company owner and take care of the daily operations.