Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #561

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Price of Tamales Skyrockets In LA Ahead of Christmas
By CBSLA Staff
It appears infla- tion is mas- querading as the Grinch as prices for a staple Christmas food are going way up.
A platter of tamales is a mainstay Christmas tradi- tion for many Latino families in Los Angeles. However, as Angelenos start to pick between
pollo, queso and carne at Tamale Liliana's in East L.A. they can't help but notice a change on the menu.
Some customers were surprised
that the price of a dozen tamales increased at their favorite tamale place.
"Everything is due to the recession," said employee Montse Bautista.
"Wages went up. Materials went up. Everything went up."
Bautista has been working at her uncle's restaurant for years and says their costs have soared 60% but only raised the cost of a dozen by $2 which is 7%.
"It's a bit, cus- tomers have explained their frustration with us but it's all due to the materials that increased," said Bautista. "We're just trying to keep it affordable for everyone."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 24% increase in the price of corn com- pared to last year. This, combined with rising labor
costs and meat shortages, are the likely culprits causing the rising prices.
With a Christmas meal more expen- sive than last year, some fami- lies are getting creative in order to get enough tamales for their celebrations.
"Everyone's gonna buy their own tamales — two dozen a fami- ly," said customer Linda Lopez. "At least someone's making. We all pitch in and we all eat."
There's no pre- ordering at Tamales Liliana's but they will be open extra hours on Christmas Eve, which starts at 2 a.m.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine