WENT TO UNWRAP SOME TAMALES. EVERYONE’S GETTING READY FOR THEM. IT’S THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR AT YOLANDA’S TAMALES AND DECEMBER’S COOL, FOGGY WEATHER IS ONLY ADDING TO THE CRAVINGS. RIGHT NOW IT’S LIKE SUPER FOGGY AND CLOUDY. PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING WARM. THEY CAN HOLD ON TO. SO THE TAMALES IS, LIKE, PERFECT. YOU KNOW, IT’S PERFECT FOR THIS WEATHER. WITH CHRISTMAS JUST A WEEK AWAY, NOTHING SAYS THE HOLIDAYS LIKE A HOT TAMALE. GREEN SAUCE. CHICKEN TAMALE. EVEN FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING THEIR FIRST ONE THIS SEASON, WE HAVE OUR OG CUSTOMERS AND THEN WE HAVE NEW CUSTOMERS THAT THEY’VE NEVER SEEN US, NEVER HEARD OF US. AND THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN TRIED A TAMALE. SO EXPLAIN THEM. HOW TO EAT A TAMALE IS REALLY FUNNY BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS TRY TO BITE THE HUSK. ANDRES SAYS. BY THE END OF DECEMBER THEY’LL MAKE AND SELL ABOUT 15,000 TAMALES. IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER. AND YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN IT’S BEEN REALLY GOOD. WE’VE BEEN REALLY BUSY. WE’VE BEEN BUSY WITH CATERING ORDERS AND TAMALE ORDERS, AND WE USUALLY TAKE A SMALL BREAK AND WE’RE OFF ON MONDAYS. BUT THIS TIME WE’VE BEEN OPENING SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS BECAUSE WE’VE JUST BEEN HAVING SO MANY ORDERS COME IN. BUT BEHIND THE HOLIDAY FLAVOR, THERE’S A BIT OF A FINANCIAL SQUEEZE. GIANNA SAYS TARIFFS AND FEES HAVE DRIVEN UP THE COST OF KEY INGREDIENTS FOR TAMALES. THE HUSK, THE OGI. IT’S JUST REAL EXPENSIVE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY COME FROM MEXICO. SO YOU KNOW, ALL THAT, ALL THOSE FEES, THEY ADD UP. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE’RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO PAY FOR FOR ALL THOSE INFLATION FEES. STILL, IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON, YOLANDA’S IS ABSORBING MOST OF THE COST, HOPING TO KEEP TAMALES AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA THREE NEWS. AND WHILE SOME BUSINESSES HAVE ALREADY STOPPED TAKING ORDERS, YOLANDA’S SAYS THAT THEY’LL KEEP TAKING ORDERS ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL DECEMBER 23RD. AND EVEN AFTER THAT, THEY’LL STAY OPEN FOR
Tamales sales rise in Sacramento despite tariff challenges
Updated: 6:43 PM PST Dec 16, 2025
Yolanda’s Tamales in Sacramento is experiencing a surge in tamale sales this holiday season, driven by the cool, foggy December weather and the approach of Christmas.”Right now that it’s super foggy and cloudy, people want something warm they can hold on to, so the tamales are perfect for this weather,” said Andrés Yañez of Yolanda’s Tamales.With Christmas just a week away, the shop is catering to both loyal customers and newcomers. “We have our OG customers, and then we have new customers that they’ve never heard of us. And then, we have people that have never even tried tamales, so explaining to them how to eat a tamal is really funny because they always try to bite the husk,” Yañez said.Yañez anticipates that by the end of December, the shop will have made and sold about 15,000 tamales. “We’re in the middle of December, and it’s been really good. We’ve been really busy,” he said. “We’ve been busy with catering orders and tamales orders, and we usually take a small break. We’re off on Mondays, but this time we’ve been opening Sundays and Mondays because we’ve just been having so many orders come in,” he said.However, the festive season comes with its challenges, as tariffs and fees have increased the cost of essential ingredients. “For tamales, the husk, the hoja, it’s real expensive. Especially because they come from Mexico and all those fees add up and at the end of the day, we’re the ones that have to pay for all those inflation fees,” Yañez said.Despite these financial pressures, Yolanda’s Tamales is absorbing most of the additional costs to keep tamales affordable for families celebrating the holidays. While some businesses have stopped taking orders, Yolanda’s Tamales will continue accepting orders until Dec. 23 and will remain open for walk-in orders on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Yolanda’s Tamales in Sacramento is experiencing a surge in tamale sales this holiday season, driven by the cool, foggy December weather and the approach of Christmas.
“Right now that it’s super foggy and cloudy, people want something warm they can hold on to, so the tamales are perfect for this weather,” said Andrés Yañez of Yolanda’s Tamales.
With Christmas just a week away, the shop is catering to both loyal customers and newcomers.
“We have our OG customers, and then we have new customers that they’ve never heard of us. And then, we have people that have never even tried tamales, so explaining to them how to eat a tamal is really funny because they always try to bite the husk,” Yañez said.
Yañez anticipates that by the end of December, the shop will have made and sold about 15,000 tamales.
“We’re in the middle of December, and it’s been really good. We’ve been really busy,” he said. “We’ve been busy with catering orders and tamales orders, and we usually take a small break. We’re off on Mondays, but this time we’ve been opening Sundays and Mondays because we’ve just been having so many orders come in,” he said.
However, the festive season comes with its challenges, as tariffs and fees have increased the cost of essential ingredients.
“For tamales, the husk, the hoja, it’s real expensive. Especially because they come from Mexico and all those fees add up and at the end of the day, we’re the ones that have to pay for all those inflation fees,” Yañez said.
Despite these financial pressures, Yolanda’s Tamales is absorbing most of the additional costs to keep tamales affordable for families celebrating the holidays.
While some businesses have stopped taking orders, Yolanda’s Tamales will continue accepting orders until Dec. 23 and will remain open for walk-in orders on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel