Tamaleria & Mexican Deli
Dulwich Hill is the unlikely location for an authentic taste of Mexico City
TEN YEARS AGO when Rosa Cienfuegos moved to Australia, tortillas were hard to find. “Now,” she says, “they’re in the supermarket.” Growing curiosity about authentic Mexican fare (not taco-kit Tex Mex) is what has seen her go from helping out in her dad’s restaurant in Enmore to hosting pop-ups at Marrickville Markets. “I started to get a lot more demand from non-Mexican people. That’s when I started looking for a shop.”
Her Tamaleria & Mexican Deli sits on Marrickville Road in the heart of Dulwich Hill village. People queue happily to get their hands on a taste of Mexico City. Specifically, they are here for tamales. When deciding to specialise in the steamed, filled masa-dough pockets, Cienfuegos asked herself, “What is gluten free, really Mexican, and hard to find?” Tamales were the answer, not only because the ingredients are difficult to source (she has to import white corn flour for the masa dough, plus chillis, tomatillos and cactus for her dishes), but because they are time consuming. It takes her two full days each week to make 200 tamales. This includes soaking the corn husk wrappers, making the fillings, mixing the dough (a spreadable combination of corn flour, pork lard and chicken stock), assembling the tamales and then steaming them. There’s a very good reason so many people who come for lunch also take home the readymade packs from the freezer for later.
She makes tacos Thursdays through Sundays, containing everything from brisket to ox tongue, chorizo or a Mexican version of a pork kebab where the meat is marinated in bitter annatto seed paste, pineapple juice, orange juice and onion. For vegetarians, tamales are made with vegetable shortening, plus there are gorditas and tlacoyos (both masa-based flatbreads with toppings). Cienfuegos loves that people are curious and ask questions, but she’s not holding your hand – there’s not much in the way of explainers on the handwritten menus. Just roll the dice, and make sure you order a horchata to go with it: a chilled, super-refreshing milky drink of panella sugar, condensed milk and cinnamon. ELT 463 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill, Sydney 2203. facebook.com/mexican foodinaustralia. Thu 10am-8pm; Fri-Sun 10am-5pm.