The 2019 Delta Hot Tamale Festival brought in loaded pockets and empty stomachs waiting to be filled with some of the best tamales the festival had to offer.
In addition, the festival was graced by several beautiful young ladies who competed and were crowned as winners of the Delta Hot Tamale Pageant.
There were a handful of categories in which the tamale cooking contestants were judged according to.
Best presentation went to Roddy’s Tamale World.
For Commercial Meat Tamales, the winners were:
* CC’s Hot Tamales (First place);
* The Tamale Shakk (Second place);
* Southern Gals Hot Tamales (Third place);
* Perry’s Original Sho-Nuff Hot Tamales (Fourth place); and
* CC’s Hot Tamales of Memphis (Fifth place).
For Home Meat Tamales, the winners were:
* Roddy’s Tamale World (First place);
* Mr. Hot “T” Molly’s (Second place);
* HomeBoy’s (Third place);
* O’Sheilas Hot Tamales (Fourth place); and
* Katie’s Kitchen (Fifth place).
For Other Tamales, the winners were:
n CC’s Hot Tamales (First place);
n Hot Tamale King (Second place); and
n Katie’s Kitchen (Third place).
Roddy’s Tamale World took home the award for Grand Champion of the Hot Tamale Cooking Contest.
The Delta Hot Tamale Festival Pageant winners were:
* Miss Hot Tamale Princess – Abby Montgomery;
n Miss Hot Tamale Sweetheart – Anna Marsalis Poole;
* Miss Hot Tamale Pre-Teen – Jaria Fulton;
* Miss Hot Tamale Teen – Myisha Turner; and
* Miss Hot Tamale Queen – Maya Brooks.
Hot Tamale Eating Contest
In the Hot Tamale Eating Contest, Marion, Arkansas, resident Benton Brown finished in first place putting down a total of 17 hot tamales. The other contests included:
* Bob Chris, of Houston, Texas — 1 tamale;
* Jim Veal, of Houston, Texas — 2 tamales;
* Gary Halmon, of Leland — 3 tamales;
* Jeff Wong, of Madison — 14 tamales;
* Chris Brown, of Greenville (12-year-old) — 5 tamales;
* Kaitlyn Byrd, of Greenville (10-year-old) — 12 tamales;
* David Jackson, of Greenville — 7 tamales; and
* Danny Thaggard, of Greenville — 11 tamales.
