Where to find tamales in the South Valley this holiday season

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's the holiday season, and for a lot of families, tamales are a staple on the Christmas dinner table.

La Mejor in Farmersville sells thousands of tamales and ingredients to make them each year.

The store has been around since 1974. The daughter of the founders and current owner, Rosa Maria Vasquez, says what sets them apart is their dough or masa.

It's made from scratch.

"It goes through the grinder, two stone rocks, and it makes the masa. It's the original authentic way. You don't see too many people or businesses doing that because it's a lot of work," explains Rosa.

The customers agree Liz Rodriguez has been a customer for 15 years.

She bought 60 pounds of masa to make her famous tamales- which she describes as the best in town.

Liz says her secret ingredient, "Love first. Two, I make them with a lot of meat. They like everything they don't want, just masa. They like meat. There is a special olive I put in there that gives it that flavor."

For Liz, keeping her Hispanic culture alive is important.

But for those who may not want to try their luck in the kitchen-

The store has tamales that are ready to go.

"Consistently great, you can't beat them. Why would you go somewhere else when you've found something good," explains a customer for 18 years, Bob V.

The store has been around for 51 years, and the fourth generation is gearing up to take over.

10-year-old Belynda Orozco spends her winter break at La Mejor- helping make sure people get the tamales they need.

"I feel happy because I'm making someone's day, and they get to come in here and know what they want," expresses Belynda Orozco, La Mejor's 4th and youngest generation.

The owner is eternally grateful for the community's support.

"I just wanna say thank you everybody. And first of all, thank you, God, for the blessings because, without him, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Because of that, I am extremely blessed and happy," expresses Rosa Maria.

La Mejor will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for limited hours.

To place your orders in advance, you can call them at (559) 747-0739 or visit their website here.

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