Chilean Humitas are similar to tamales but made with fresh or green corn instead of masa.
In my family, at least a couple of summer weekends were dedicated to cooking Humitas to freeze and store for the winter. The precise moment is when the right variety of corn, call “Humeros,” and the basil is abundant and cheap, but before the corn is over ripen and turn dry. Always check the corn; it should look milky.
It is not necessary to do everything in one day; you can cut and match the corn’s husk and leave the mixture ready the day before. The next day made the humitas and cook. Serve with an excellent Chilean salad. Or a few slices of real tomatoes, a true ode to the Chilean summer.
Tips for delicious Humitas:
What variety of corn is traditionally used?
Humitas are made with Humero corn. This variety of corn is widespread in Chile but very difficult to find in other countries. Humero corn has irregular kernels. If the rows of the kernels are neat, it is not the correct one. The husk is hard. When you prick the corn, whitish milk comes out. Use fresh, don’t store it for more than ten days. The corn dries out and loses its consistency.
Is the Humero corn native or introduced to Chile?
Humero corn is a cross of native Chilean corn and a commercial variety introduced in the early 1900s. Corn was grown in Chile; before the arrival of the Spaniards, it was an abundant crop from Copiapó to Chiloé. Along with potatoes, they were the most popular crops. Wheat was introduced by the Spaniards and partially displaced corn.
When does the Humero corn season start in Chile?
It starts showing up at markets in mid-December and is easy to find until early March.
In what other dishes can I use corn?
Porotos con Mazamorra (summer bean soup), and Porotos Granados (bean stew) are traditional. Click on the names to see the recipes.
If I let a Humero corn dry, can I make popcorn?
In theory, yes, the classic variety of dried corn for popcorn in Chile is Curagua.
How do I replace Chilean corn in the US?
I recommend using frozen corn (whole kernel) and adding cornmeal to thicken and improve the flavor while cooking the corn paste. The corn available in the US is sweeter because it is a different variety. Cornmeal works better than cornstarch and polenta. Never add sugar to the mix.
Can I plant Chilean corn in the US?
Yes, you can follow the same calendar of the US corn varieties. Here you can buy seeds.
Can I use canned corn, and what basil should I buy in the US?
I do not recommend using canned corn. It has more water than frozen corn. If you do not have an option, calibrate it with cornmeal to achieve the correct texture.
You have to be careful with basil. Thai basils have a lot of anise flavors. I recommend using Sweet basil or Genovese (in moderation). Taste the basil before adding to the corn paste.
Maybe you’re interested in the recipe: Corn Pie or Pastel de Choclo.
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Chilean Humitas o Tamales de Elote
A summer classic, but very laborious.
- Total Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Yield: 16
Ingredients
- 12 large ears of green corn “Humeros” (or 3 pounds of frozen whole kernel corn plus 4 tablespoons of cornmeal)
- 2 large onions, chopped in small cubes
- 2 tablespoons of lard or butter or Color
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- 2 teaspoons of sal
- small bunch of basil
- 2 yellow banana or Thai peppers, without seeds and finely chopped
- pork rinds, optional
- twine
Instructions
- Cut the base of the corn, separate the husks, reserve the large ones, and arrange them into 16 pairs of similar size. Finish cleaning the corn and remove all the corn silk.
- Using a large knife, cut the corn. You can do it in one pass and then put the kernels through the grinder or food processor. Or in several passes (2-3) so that the kernels are finely chopped, do it as seen in the photo to keep all the juices or milk of the corn. If using frozen corn, grind it on the food processor without defrosting. Use the milk called in the recipe to add some liquid.
- In a large pot with a thick bottom, heat the butter or the “color” and add the onion. Brown for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, and peppers. Stir.
- Add the corn and milk, stir well and let it boil. I will thicken. Add the basil and pork rinds if desired. Add the cornmeal if it is necessary to thicken more. The mixture should be firm.
- Place three or four large spoons of the mixture on the open husks. Fold first on the sides and then the tips inwards. Tie with twine and give it the traditional bowtie form.
- Prepare a steam bath on a big pot. Steam the humitas for 1 hour. Serve hot, cut the twine on the table. Traditionally in Chile, Humitas are cooked submerged in water (30-40 minutes), but here with the variety of corn is difficult to get the proper wrap and seal on the Humitas, and to prevent leaking is easier to steam.
- Serve with Chilean salad.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Stove-cooked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 169
- Sugar: 10.6 g
- Sodium: 415.4 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.9 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
Keywords: Chilean humitas, fresh corn tamales
I’m going to try this soon. Just wondering should these be steamed or submerged?
Submerged is the classic way, but can be made steamed too.
FOR HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STEAMED FOR? THANK YOU
An hour.
sounds fantastic!
I will try this soon and guess it will bring back memories from a few visits to Chile in the 90s of the last century…
I remember having eaten a lot of humitas back the and they were usually served sprinkled with sugar(!). Would this require any adjustment to your recipe or does it work as well savoury or sweet?
Thanks,
Falk
PS: Pastel de choclo is next on my list…
This is the recipe that you are free to add sugar at the table in Chile. No need to adjust anything. Good luck. Small suggestion, start with the Pastel de Choclo is easier than the Humitas.
I always miss humitas this time of year but the sweet yellow corn here in NYC is not the same and makes terrible humitas. How do you find the right type of corn in the United States?
No, it’s not, but you can harvest the leaves and use other corn for the filling. Some Latin supermarkets sell other fresh corn varieties better for Humitas.
This recipe was fine until the “Cook the humitas submerged” part. What. A. Disaster.
My deceased father was from Chile and my mom made these with him ages ago. She remembered them being steamed, but since we were following this recipe, we submerged them as instructed.
The result was basically corn soup. Luckily I noticed it was headed downhill real fast and was able to pull them out of the boiling water and salvage the soupy corn mess. I ran it through a fine mesh sieve and will use it to make pastel de choclo, corn fritters, or as a simple side dish of “corn pudding”.
If you are going to submerge them, MAKE SURE THEY ARE COMPLETELY WRAPPED TIGHTLY. Otherwise, steaming is the only way to go with these.
The only saving race was that the corn if at peak season and super cheap. Otherwise, this would have been a complete loss. Also, learning what NOT to do is just as important as learning what TO do.
Yes, you are right that if they are not close tightly and without having the proper corn hush here is difficult, these can leak on the pot.
The recipe is written as the traditional way of making Humitas in Chile, but I appreciated your suggestion to steam and I would add it to the recipe.
Personally, I very seldom make Humitas and just make Pastelera (bake Humita in an oven dish).
Thanks for taking the time to comment.