Tucson Tamale Company is adding a retail marketplace to both of its locations, which features a line-up of more than 100 products.
The market is going to include items such as gourmet chocolate, a variety of nuts from a company that gives 90 percent of its profits to provide support in Mozambique, and a range of hot sauces made with the peri-peri pepper and from a company that began in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The new market’s items range from local, regional, and international purveyors that were intentionally curated by Tucson Tamale co-founders Todd and Sherry Martin.
The expansion has also made room for a convenient grab-and-go format and the addition of house-made dishes by local chef David Valencia. With that being said, there will be a rotating menu of more than a dozen new dishes that are frozen and packaged for take-out on top of the 15 signature tamales already available.
“The intention behind these new offerings was to provide more options to our customers, focusing on foods that were made with the same level of quality and spirit of sustainability that’s wrapped inside each of the four million tamales that we’ll make this year,” said co-founder Todd Martin. “Our criteria for their inclusion in the new marketplace are the uniqueness of the products, the manufacturers’ commitment to sustainability and the communities they serve, and the complementary nature of the products with our tamales as well as our new market meals.”
Some of the new dishes include:
- Poblano Spinach Dip
- Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
- Soyrizo Bean Dip
- Smothered Green Chile Chicken Burrito
- Smothered Red Chile Beef Burrito
- Pork Pozole
- Vegan Pozole
- Albondigas
“This commitment brings with it a host of new responsibilities for us and our staff, but it’s absolutely work that’s worth doing,” said Martin.
Tucson Tamale Company is located at 7286 N. Oracle Rd. and 7159 E. Tanque Verde Rd. For more information, visit tucsontamale.com.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
