When it comes to Latin American cuisine, many people think of dishes such as arepas, tamales, and tacos. Humitas is a dish that often goes overlooked, and it deserves more love and attention.
Humitas are cakes made with maize, butter, eggs, and cheese. This dish is easy to make and doesn’t require you to follow complicated steps. Various versions of humitas exist, and you can make many additions to enhance its flavors and suit your taste.
This article provides a straightforward recipe for humitas, its history, and what you need to know when eating and preparing this popular latin food.
What Are Humitas?
Humitas are steamed corn cakes that can be either sweet or savory, depending on what flavorings you decide to add. The batter for humitas is made using fresh maize paste and is steamed in the shape of parcels wrapped in corn husks.
You can find various versions of the dish in different countries throughout Latin America.
Humitas are popular in:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Chile
- Peru
How Humitas Are Different Than Tamales
Humitas are different from tamales in terms of ingredients. While humitas are made of fresh maize (or choclo) paste, tamales are made using masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour). While tamales and humitas look alike and are cooked similarly, both dishes aren’t the same.
Depending on what you add, humitas can have sweet or savory flavors.
On the other hand, tamales tend to have a meat stuffing which is an extremely rare combination as far as humitas are concerned.
In general, humitas are more likely to have a cheese filling and are made using mellow-tasting maize, which makes the dish’s overall flavor relatively neutral.
While humitas are explicitly cooked in corn husks, the same isn’t necessarily valid for tamales.
Tamales are often wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed, which gives them a unique flavor. However, it doesn’t mean that tamales steamed in corn husks are entirely unheard of.
Another difference between the two is their place of origin.
The birthplace of tamales is said to be the Mesoamerica region, currently:
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Belize
- Central to southern Mexico
On the other hand, humitas are known to have been invented in the Andean region, currently:
- Venezuela
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru,
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Argentina
To better understand the difference between tamales and humitas, you can compare the information you find in this article to that in my article titled “Tamales: What Are They, History, How To Make Them.”
History of Humitas
The origin of humitas can be traced to pre-Hispanic times in the Andean region. It is said to have been a peasant dish.
The word humita means shelled corn, hinting at the base ingredient of the dish.
While the information on the exact place of origin of Humitas needs to be documented better for us to be sure, we still have a good idea of how the dish spread in the Andean states.
The Incan empire occupied a massive portion of the Andean region.
They played an essential role in cumulating all their cultures into one and spreading this amalgamated culture across the region.
It also meant spreading the various foods found in different parts of this region, including humitas, throughout this entire stretch of land.
Humitas were initially cooked in an earth oven called pachamanca, made by digging a pit in the ground and adding coal to it.
The dish was traditionally served with meat and vegetable stews.
How To Make Humitas
Humitas are a great alternative to try if you’re bored of tamales.
Below is a quick, easy, and simple recipe for making the most delicious Ecuadorian humitas.
It also serves the purpose of helping you better appreciate the nuances of Latin American cuisine.
Ingredients (Makes 10-12)
- 6 cups (990 grams) of maize
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of melted butter or lard
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
- 1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking powder
- Fresh cheese (for filling)
- Cornmeal (optional)
- Corn husks
Humitas Recipe
- Take 2 cups (330 grams) at a time of the maize kernels and crush them using either a food mill or a blender until a paste is formed. To help with this process, add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of melted butter for every 2 cups of maize while blending.
- If your paste looks too watery, you can add a bit of cornmeal to help with the texture.
- Add the salt, sugar, and baking powder to the mix.
- Spread the corn husks open and scoop 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 milliliters) of batter onto the flattened-out husks.
- Place a hunk of cheese on the batter and cover it with another tablespoon or so of the batter.
- Wrap the husks around the batter and tie them up to secure them.
- Place the humitas parcels into a steamer and cook for about 40 minutes over medium heat.
- Serve them hot.
How To Wrap Humitas
Humitas are wrapped using corn husks. To prevent leakage, you can overlap two pieces of corn husks over each other in the broader end. After scooping the batter onto the overlapping portion of the husks, fold them into an envelope and tie them up.
You can use yarn or a thin strip of corn husk to tie the humitas.
Alternatively, you can also use a singular piece of corn husk.
To do so:
- Add the batter to the center of the husk.
- Fold a portion laterally on the batter.
- Fold the narrow end of the husk upwards.
- Roll the rest of the husk onto itself.
- Tie the parcel up. Keep the humitas upright while cooking.
When to Serve Humitas
Humitas are a versatile dish and can be enjoyed any time of day, although they are often served for breakfast or lunch.
They can also be served as an appetizer or party food, and are a great option for vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
What To Serve With Humitas
Humitas can be paired with both sweet and savory additions.
Since they are relatively mild in flavor, humitas tend to be blank canvases to express your creativity.
Since humitas are carb-centric, serving them with well-seasoned cooked meats and vegetables or sauces makes the most sense.
Doing so would balance out the nutrition and provide flavor to the otherwise bland humitas.
Items that work exceptionally well with humitas include:
- Stews
- Curries
- Salsas
- Stir fry dishes
- Roasted vegetables
- Meats
- Gravies
If you want to go down the sweet route, skip the cheese during the prep.
To make a simple yet delicious dessert, top your freshly steamed, hot humitas with sugar and cinnamon.
How To Store and Reheat Humitas
To store leftover humitas, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. When you want to reheat them, place thawed humitas in the microwave for 2 minutes. You can also fry them in oil or butter on low heat until slightly crisp outside and soft and warm inside.
While eating humitas, it is best to unwrap only the ones you’ll be eating.
As such, if you have any humitas left over (which is highly unlikely), storing them becomes easier.
When stored properly, humitas last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
To store humitas for longer:
- Allow them to come to room temperature.
- Place them in a Tupperware or any other airtight container.
- Place this container in the freezer. The container prevents the humitas from drying up in the freezer.
When you want to reheat frozen humitas, avoid thawing the entire batch and only take as many as you need.
Final Thoughts
Humitas are an underrated food item that should be spoken about, seen, and enjoyed.
They are cakes steamed inside a corn husk. Depending on the region, humitas can either have savory or sweet fillings.
They make for a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner option because they are both filling and delicious.
Sources
- Exploratorium: Humitas and Zongzi
- Wikipedia: Humita
- YouTube: KWA – HUMITAS
- Tenement Museum: Y
- our Story, Our Story – Humitas
- Definitions: What does humita mean?
- YouTube: Miranda García Delicias Ecuatorianas – CÓMO HACER LAS MEJORES HUMITAS🌽 ECUATORIANAS
- Delighted Cooking: What Is Humita?
- LinkedIn: Humitas in the House
- Vamos Academy: Humita Ultimate Guide: How To Cook Humitas, History, Styles and More
- Laylita’s Recipes: Humitas or steamed fresh corn cakes
- Amigo Foods: Tamales: What Are They, History, How To Make Them
- Wikipedia: Nixtamalization
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.