Dec 15, 2008 8:29 pm US/Pacific
Price Of Making Tamales Skyrockets
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
Nothing seems to be able to escape the economic downturn, not even tamales. The flavorful favorite in Sacramento is costing more and more to make, and it could force local tamale makers out of business.
The prices of ingredients have "gone up a lot, especially in the past year," said Staci Gallardo from Emma's Tamales.
For example, a five-gallon jug of canola oil that cost $35 a year and a half ago costs $65 now.
With the increase in costs to make tamales, the price to buy has also risen at some businesses, but Gallardo says she cannot pass the costs off to consumers.
"Nobody will buy our product," she said. "We're just trying to finagle whatever way we can to keep rolling."
Despite 25 years of business and the popularity of tamales around the holiday season, the bottom line has been hit so hard that Emma's Tamales may have to close as soon as the beginning of next year.
The price of tamales has risen at other factories in the area, in some cases by as much as 50 percent. At those prices, it remains to be seen whether hot tamales will continue to sell like hot potatoes during the holidays.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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