Now painfully stuffed (I was starting to believe the talk about cornmeal expanding in your stomach), we rolled into Clarksdale at dusk. Here, Abe’s Bar-B-Q sits half-hidden behind a donut shop at the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49, where bluesman Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his uncanny guitar abilities. Johnson wrote a paean to tamales called “They’re Red Hot,” which could easily describe Abe’s version. These were the spiciest I’d tasted, studded with red pepper flakes and dripping neon orange juices into a Styrofoam tray. And unlike most Delta tamales, which are beef-filled, Abe’s are plump with the same pulled pork that goes in their barbecue sandwiches. When I asked Pat Davis, grandson of Abe’s founder, Abe Davis, what makes the flavor of their tamales different from those of other local restaurants, he was a bit...circumspect.
“They use a certain spice that we don’t use as much of, and we use more of other spices that they don’t use, if that makes any sense,” he said.
Um, no, not really. But that’s the point. Tamales are supposed to be a bit of a mystery. Where they come from remains unclear, what’s in them is none of your business. All you need to know is that they’re red hot, cheap and delicious.
Solly’s Hot Tamales 1921 Washington St., Vicksburg, MS (601-636-2020)
Doe’s Eat Place 502 Nelson St, Greenville, MS (662-334-3315; doeseatplace.com)
Maria’s Famous Hot Tamales 605 Toni St., Greenville, MS (662-332-7847)
Crystal Grill 423 Carrollton Ave., Greenwood, MS (662-453-6530)
Abe’s Bar-B-Q 616 N. State St., Clarksdale, MS (662-624-9947; abesbbq.com)
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