Bertha’s Tamales

A standard fixture in the Torrance Farmer’s Market that I have patronized over the past couple of years. I always get a single beef tamale ($ 3.50) and have it doused in their hottest sauce. The tamales used to be excellent. Soft masa with hot flavorful filling all topped with an intense fiery sauce. Over a period of time the quality has dipped and on my past two visits I got tamales which were basically a lump of hard masa with cold tasteless filling. Worse still the sauce seems be have been watered down and does not have the bite that it used to have earlier. I’ll give Bertha’s Tamales one more try before writing it off as their are many places where you can get great tamales in SoCal.

We decided to sample Bertha’s Famous Tamales at the Peninsula Center Farmer’s Market on Sunday. Two tamales for $ 5 is the constant chant from this pop tent. So, we ordered two tamales — chicken with mole verde and pork with mole roja. The tamales are stored in «coolers» to keep them hot (an insulated box sans something to keep it cool). Wow was I disappointed. First, I dove into the chicken. There is almost no meat, and the meat is dry. It is basically a hunk of masa that has absorbed a little of mole verde that does not have much flavor. The pork was not much better — it was similarly dry but mercifully had more sauce inside. There are some photos with extra sauce on top — that was certainly not an option here, despite ordering «for here.» We also got two ears of corn ($ 2 each) which are generally slathered with mayonnaise, cheese and hot sauce and chili powder. The corn was really good — good quality, not mushy (especially considering hot it is stored), and I liked the flavors «on top.» But, Bertha’s tamales are enough to eliminate any change of my coming back here. All masa, no meat/​flavor. C’est la vie.

Man o man. Bertha’s got the best tamale’s Ive had in a very long time. Pork is my favorite, beef next. I never had it at the Torrance Farmers market, but I would have Bertha’s Tamales almost every Sunday when I worked at Pinkberry in Rolling Hills. I miss Sundays with Bertha! I’m definitely going to have to make it a point to go to the Torrance Farmers Market.

Tried the pork tamale with rojo sauce ala carte while at the Ranch Palos Verde Farmers Market. It’s the way I like it! The tamale is wrapped in corn husk; there are chunks of pork; and good amount of filling for an entrée (not a side).
Pleasantly surprised! I didn’t think it was hard to find this style tamale. Now I have! This style makes me a fan of tamales.

Mainstay of Torrance Farmer’s Market. Service is always friendly, they have great strawberry lemonade and the tamales are good.
I always get the half dozen for 13.50 for the hubby, he is a pretty hearty eater and 2 is not enough but 3 is too much. So we warm up three and I eat the leftovers he won’t eat and we are both pretty satisfied. I know his favorite is pork with the red sauce, I like beef.
4 stars because the sides [we tried once] are pretty eh, but the tamales and lemonade are great. Better than the other carnival food they are serving at the farmer’s market.
I know they are there for the Tuesday market, not sure if they are there on Saturdays too.

5 Stars: Chicken Jalapeño Tamale. This is as good as it gets. They warn you that it is hot, but I would call it only medium hot. So many chicken tamales are in a standard red sauce, which overpowers the chicken flavor. The jalapeño flavor is just right, achieving a perfect balance with the chicken. The masa is delicious, and the tamale is not too heavy with masa, as are so many. It needs no salt, no salsa, and you will enjoy and eat every last bit of masa.
4 Stars: Pork and red mole’ tamale. Pretty good, but not quite the equal of El Gallo Giro. Same positive comments on quality and amount of masa.
1 Star: vegetable and cheese tamale. Lacking in flavor and cheese. If you do try it, be sure to bring salt to give it a little help. Or Cholula. As it is, it’s a bland corn, peas and lima bean succotash tamale. Who eats that? I don’t think even Corn Maiden would try that combination. The cheese seemed to be missing in action. Even the masa isn’t as good, since it has no flavor to absorb.
I have had other flavors, but can’t remember past today’s visit. We always have the jalapeño chicken and may try another flavor.
I do recall that the chicken with the green mole’ is pretty good.
They do a big business selling in quantity, so taste and see what you like. .
This is at the Torrance Farmers’ Market, Tuesdays and Saturday 8 till 1, in Charles (the absent) Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd. (between Sepulveda Blvd. and Carson St.). It’s a better than average farmers’ market, too.