Tamales in Texas

Some of the world’s finest eaters will converge in Lewisville, TX, on June 4, at 1:00pm for the World Tamale-Eating Championship. This title, respected for its elusiveness as much as the impending fame due its possessor, will be accompanied by a $1,000 first place prize.

"The ability to eat tamales in mass quantity fell out of favor in the late 20th Century, and those with skill in this area found that they were not celebrated by the public," said George Shea, chairman of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. "However, in the first five years of the new century, tamale-eating has experienced a resurgence in popularity. This rebirth will culminate in Lewisville, TX, on June 4."

The contest will be part of the Bassmaster Elite 50 Fishing Tournament taking place on Lake Lewisville outside of Dallas, TX. Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory in Lewisville will be donating the delicious tamales to the contest. The IFOCE will handle eater registration. There are still spots available, and interested eaters over the age of 18 should sign up on ifoce.com or call (212) 627-5766.

Interested parties are also encouraged to visit www.oldtownba.org and www.visitlewisville.com for more information on the event.

The contest will be preceded by a neat-eating contest for children, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. Registration for the neat eating contest will be done onsite on a first come- first served basis.

Lewisville Lake is located 15 min. north of downtown Dallas along Interstate 35E. Created in 1954 on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, the lake covers nearly 30,000 acres of surface area and reaches depths of up to 67 feet. Lewisville Lake is rated as “excellent” by Texas Parks & Wildlife for catfish, crappie and white bass, and “good” for largemouth bass and striped/hybrid bass.