Warm Up With These Latino Seasonal Foods You Can Find Around LA

In Los Angeles there’s never really a shortage of delicious Hispanic or Latino foods, especially around the holiday season. 

Seasonal treats like tamales, pozole, menudo, champurrado and atole are just some of the favorites eaten around this time of year. 

Although these holiday foods are staples in many Latino households, everyone has their own style and recipe they like to follow.

Here are some of the top rated places on Yelp where you can find these popular Latino dishes:

Pozole and Menudo

Pozole is a soup made with hominy and either pork or chicken. It can be made with either a red or green sauce base and topped with lots of garnishes like radishes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped onion and lime. 

Menudo is a soup made with cow stomach, tripe, in a broth with a red sauce base and hominy. Similar to pozole, it can also be garnished with radishes, onions and lime.

Some restaurants serve these dishes only on weekends, so it's best to call ahead to make sure.

1. Zermeños: 6115 Santa Monica Blvd A. Find them on Yelp here.
2. El Parian: 1528 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.
3. El Huarachito: 3010 N Broadway, Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.  
4. El Comal: 5465 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.  
5. Chicharroland: 4714 S Main St. Find them on Yelp here.

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Tamales

Tamales are made of masa with fillings of either chicken, pork, beef or cheese and a green or red sauce. There are even some sweet tamales made with strawberries or corn. 

1. Tamales Liliana: 4629 E Cesar E Chavez Ave and 3448 1st St. Find them on Yelp here. Note: This location also serves Champurrado and Pozole
2. La Indiana Tamales: 1142 S Indiana St Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.
3. La Mascota Bakery: 2715 Whittier Blvd Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.  
4. Los Cinco Puntos: 3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave. Find them on Yelp here. Note: Also serves Menudo
5. Tamales Alberto: 1644 W Temple St Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here.

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Champurrado, Atole and Pan Dulce

Champurrado is a thick, creamy, chocolate based drink with cinnamon, masa and piloncilo.

Atole is a masa based drink with milk and can be flavored with corn or strawberries.

1. Panaderia Mexico: 6817 Woodman Ave Van Nuys. Find them on Yelp here. Note: They have champurrado and strawberry or corn flavored atole.
2. Mi Ranchito Veracruz: 13363 Saticoy St Ste 102. Find them on Yelp here. Note: They have tamales, pozole and champurrado. 
3. Guelaguetza: 3014 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here. Note: They also serve pozole on weekends and mole tamales
4. La Monarca Bakery and Cafe: 6091 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles. Find them on yelp here. Note: They have champurrado and a wide variety of sweet breads
5. Sabores Oaxaquenos: 3337 1/2 W 8th St Los Angeles. Find them on Yelp here. Note: They have both champurrado and atole

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