Mother-in-law (sandwich) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mother-in-law

Place of origin	Chicago
Main ingredients	Tamale, chili, hot dog bun

Chicago-style tamale, used to make a mother-in-law

The mother-in-law is a fast food dish of Chicago, consisting of a tamale topped with chili, served in a hot dog bun. The mother-in-law is made with Chicago's unique style of tamale, a machine-extruded cornmeal roll wrapped in paper instead of corn husks, which is typically cooked in a hot-dog steamer.

History

Mexican-Americans brought the tamale to Chicago, and African-Americans from the Mississippi Delta area brought the hot tamale to the city. But no one knows how the mother-in-law sandwich developed. Some speculate it may have had its beginnings in Mexico City's torta de tamal, a tamale on a bolillo. The precise origins of the Chicago-style tamale are also obscure.