TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — With Christmas around the corner, families throughout Southern Arizona are gearing up for their annual tamal orders. But this year, they might be facing a bump in prices due to rising ingredient costs.
At La Costa Mexican Food, the magic happens right in their own kitchen. Daniela Morales and her mom Ernestina Sánchez are making tamales ahead of the Tamal Festival and preparing for the holidays — though you can order year-round.
It all started in December 2023 when Morales made extra tamales and turned to Facebook to sell them.
"I posted, and I sold all of them. I sold all of them in minutes," Morales said.
She decided to start a business in 2024, naming it La Costa Mexican Food after someone special.
"I want my grandma in this because this was her recipe," Morales said. "This is her recipe, and this is what she used to do for a long time in our town. She's from Agua Verde, Sinaloa. I was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. It's a couple of hours away from there. My mom helped teach me the recipe."
Morales has all the certifications and permits needed to work from the comfort of her own kitchen.
She says what sets her tamales apart from others is that everything is made from scratch by just her and her mom — and of course made with love.
"We prepare the sauces by ourselves. All broths that we use here, we make them, too, and that's what makes the masa really, really tasty, too. Also, the ingredients we purchase are for high quality," Morales said. "And I won't compromise quality just for making cheaper. I don't like that."
Because meats are more expensive this year, she has to increase her cost by one dollar. A dozen now costs $23, and the extra large with double portion of the filling costs $26, as well as the ones with cream cheese.
"If you get a really good price in meat last year, it was $3.49-3.99 (lb), and then today it's like, the lower price is $4.99 (lb)," Morales said. "People think that, oh, the green chile doesn't have meat, so it's cheaper but, no, the green chile has the same price as the chicken basically per pound in this season."
She says it's also difficult to get corn in the winter, so the prices can range from $9 to $10 a dozen.
During the Christmas season, Morales and her mom are busy making more than 100 dozen a day, also delivering tamales the same day they're made.
"Sometimes I wake up at 3, sometimes I would work at 4, and I prepare everything. Like if it's 50 dozens, I prepare 50 dozens on the same day. That's why I start deliveries after 12, and that's why my slogan is freshly made," Morales explained.
She makes a variety of tamales from meat to vegan — and even takes special orders, making sure customers feel special like Vanessa Buck.
"She made it how she grew up eating them with the veggies in it and such, and so she is very willing to make them how I grew up. I grew up with one olive in the tamale and that's how I order them now," Buck said.
Buck said not everyone is willing to do that, and the prices of Morales' tamales are very reasonable.
"This is a great deal, and they are amazing, and I 100% recommend her to everyone I talk to," Buck said.
Making tamales is a long process, but Morales and Sánchez are happy to do it together.
"I enjoy to have my legacy on this," Morales said. "It's like something that makes me feel like happy and complete, like I can involve my family on this, and we are growing up together, and we're still together."
Sánchez says she can't believe her daughter started selling tamales, and she wouldn't change it for the world.
"It's very emotional to work together, because this has been going on for generations, since my mother," Sanchez said.
Morales stays busy as she is a mom of two, a chemist by day and cook by night.
"I am the QAQC laboratory chemist at the regulatory affairs and compliance laboratory at Pima County, and I have a PhD in aquatic chemistry," Morales said.
She says being a scientist translates to cooking by always working in a clean environment and making sure she will never cross-contaminate.
Saturday marks the 20th Tamal Festival at Casino Del Sol. Because she sold out of 1,500 tamales within two hours in 2024, this year she'll be making 3,000.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
To learn more about La Costa Mexican Food and where her booth will be, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
——
Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
