How to judge a tamale

When eight talented home chefs prepare tamales using recipes developed over generations, how can you possibly pick the best one? Let me tell you, it isn't easy!

The big picture: I was one of about 10 judges of Food City's annual Tamale Throwdown on Saturday, and had to review each delicious entry based on their taste, texture and appearance. 

• The tamales were incredibly diverse, from several different regions of Mexico. 
• There were pork, beef and chicken options, some with potatoes and carrots, one served enchilada-style and another wrapped in a banana leaf instead of a corn husk. 

Zoom in: I had never had tamales straight out of the steamer before — it was a game changer. 

• Each one had a well-seasoned chunk of meat embedded in a creamy spread of masa, but it was so fun to see the taste and texture differences based on which region each chef's family hailed from. 

The winners: Diana Chacon, who made a red chile pork tamale, won first place for her perfect execution of a classic recipe.

• Dimas Toledo took home second place after delighting us with his banana leaf tamale, which was extra savory and creamy. 
• 18-year-old Luis Felix (whose recipe I picked as No. 1) came in third place with a sweet and spicy green chile pork tamale. 

1 sweet thing: Chacon is Felix's mom — they were so happy for each other during the award ceremony that it left many of us in tears!