Tamal Valluno, the big Valle del Cauca tamale with whole chicken
Tamal valluno — the large Valle del Cauca tamale with a pourable corn batter, a whole chicken piece and big chunks of pork, set with the gigote sofrito. How it differs from the tolimense, plus banana-leaf and masa substitutions. Makes 15.
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If you’ve met Colombian tamales through the tolimense — the one wrapped round with a little knot, with rice in the masa — the tamal valluno is the other big one, and it’s built on completely different logic. This is the tamale of the Valle del Cauca region around Cali: enormous, wrapped rectangular, with a whole bone-in chicken piece and big chunks of pork inside a masa so loose it’s poured from a ladle rather than kneaded. The recipe below is the real Valle version, gigote and all: the dense sofrito that defines it.
How do you make tamal valluno? Marinate whole chicken pieces and large pork chunks overnight. Make the masa by grinding soaked corn with hot broth to a thick batter, not a dough. Make the gigote (a concentrated sofrito). Assemble in banana leaf with a whole chicken piece, a big pork chunk, potato, carrot, and peas. Tie on all 4 sides and steam 2 hours. Makes 15 tamales, about 270 minutes total.
What a Colombian tamale is, and how the valluno differs
A Colombian tamale is corn masa and a savory filling wrapped in banana leaf and steamed — close to the Mexican tamale you may know, but bigger, leaf-wrapped instead of husk-wrapped, and treated as a whole meal rather than a side. Colombia has many regional kinds, and the two big ones are the tolimense and the valluno. They differ in almost every way that matters.
| Feature | Tamal valluno | Tamal tolimense |
|---|---|---|
| Masa | Ground corn, fluid batter | Cracked corn + cooked rice |
| Meats | Whole pieces, large chunks | Medium mixed pieces |
| Chicken | Whole bone-in piece | Medium piece |
| Shape | Rectangular, tied 4 sides | Pouch with a top knot |
| Gigote | Yes — sofrito worked into the masa | No — meats with no pre-sofrito |
| Egg | Optional | Standard |
| Size | Larger | Smaller |
The masa is the headline difference. The authentic valluno isn’t kneaded into a firm dough — it’s ground corn loosened with broth to a colada or yogurt consistency, setting itself solid only as the tamale finishes steaming. If you want the version with rice and the top knot, that’s the Colombian tamal tolimense instead.
The gigote, the ingredient nobody explains
The gigote (also called ahogao in the Valle del Cauca) is the concentrated sofrito made before assembly and worked into the masa. In the Valle this sofrito is denser and more seasoned than the everyday hogao found elsewhere in Colombia, and it cooks down over about 25 minutes total.
White and green onion together. The white onion gives the sofrito body; the green one a more delicate aroma. Together they build a more complex base.
Red bell pepper. The signature note of the valluno gigote: it adds a sweetness that balances the salt of the marinated meats.
The tomato debate. Some traditional Valle cooks skip the tomato because it makes the tamale turn sour faster, while others use it. The no-tomato version keeps better. If you’ll eat them within 2-3 days, the tomato is fine; if you plan to freeze them, leave it out.
The colada-style masa, the mistake most recipes make
The valluno masa is not a kneaded dough. It’s a colada — ground corn loosened with hot broth to a pourable consistency. This is the single most important technical point, and the one most modern recipes get wrong.
Colada masa (correct). The ground corn is hydrated with hot broth until it’s fluid like thick yogurt. Over the 2 hours of steaming, the corn starch gelatinizes and the masa sets into a soft, moist texture that wraps completely around the meat.
Kneaded masa (wrong for valluno). It makes a firm, bread-like dough that doesn’t bind the same way around the large chunks of meat. The tamale comes out drier, with patches of flavorless masa.
The meats, and why they go in big chunks
The valluno stands apart from other regions in its meat portions — the chicken goes in as a whole piece and the pork in fairly large chunks. Each tamale weighs 400-500 g, so small bits of meat would get lost in that much masa. The large pork chunk and whole chicken piece justify the size and make sure every bite has meat. The overnight marinade matters here: big chunks need 8-12 hours for the salt and spices to reach the center, or the pork tastes bland inside.
Fitting it to your kitchen
- If it’s your first time — make 8 tamales; same process, more manageable
- If you can’t find cracked corn — masarepa (precooked corn flour) loosened with hot broth makes a softer masa that works, though the texture differs
- If you can’t find banana leaves — sold fresh or frozen at Latin and Asian groceries; foil holds the tamale but adds none of the leaf’s flavor
- If you want to freeze them — leave the tomato out of the gigote; freeze fully cooked and cooled; reheat by steaming 25 minutes
- If you’re cooking for 30 — double it; the cook time doesn’t change but you need a bigger pot
What ruins a tamal valluno
Masa too thick. If it doesn’t pour off the ladle it won’t wrap the big chunks of meat, and you get dry patches. The masa should have the consistency of thick atole or yogurt.
Meat in small pieces. The valluno’s identity is its whole pieces. Small bits in this much masa give a flat tamale with no presence of filling.
Untoasted leaves. They tear when folded and the fluid masa escapes completely. Toasting the leaves is mandatory.
Loosely tied tamale. The fluid masa needs the twine’s pressure to stay in. Tied tight on all 4 sides is the only correct way.
Water touching the tamales. The valluno steams, it doesn’t boil. If water reaches the tamales the masa soaks it up and turns watery and loose.
What to serve it with
The classic Valle pairing is an arepa, with hot chocolate or black coffee to round out a weekend breakfast; a single 490-calorie tamale is a full meal on its own. It belongs to the same table of big Colombian tamales as the Colombian tamal tolimense, and for a celebration spread it sits beside other festive mains like a platter of bandeja paisa or a pot of sancocho de gallina.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tamal valluno have rice in the masa? No, and that’s the key difference from the tolimense. The valluno is ground corn only, in a colada. The tolimense mixes cracked corn with cooked rice in the masa.
How long does tamal valluno keep in the fridge? 3-4 days, well wrapped in its leaf. Reheat by steaming 15-20 minutes, or microwave 3-4 minutes in the leaf. Don’t reheat in water, since the masa absorbs it.
Why was my tamale soft when I opened it hot? That’s normal: fresh from the pot the valluno is soft. It needs 15-20 minutes of rest before opening. The next day, reheated, it has better texture and more flavor.
The tamale was my first serious encounter with Colombian celebration cooking. Back in Venezuela we have Christmas hallacas — also wrapped in banana leaf, also meat and corn masa, also a two-day process. But the valluno surprised me with the size of its meat pieces and that fluid masa, nothing like the firm dough of a hallaca. They’re relatives that grew apart down different roads from the same pre-Columbian origin. — Josnaisis.
Tamal Valluno, the big Valle del Cauca tamale with whole chicken
Prep
2 h 30 min
Cook
2 hours
Servings
15
people
Total
4 h 30 min
Difficulty
Hard
Cuisine
Colombian · Venezuelan
Calories
490 kcal
🛒 Ingredients
For 15 servings · Check off what you have
👨🍳 Instructions
Marinate (night before): mix the garlic, green onion, cumin, achiote, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces (whole, bone in) and the large pork chunks well. The valluno differs from the tolimense in that the meats go in large portions, a whole chicken piece per tamale rather than small bits. Refrigerate overnight.
Colada-style masa — the defining technique: the tamal valluno is not made with a kneaded, bread-like dough. The soaked corn is ground with enough hot meat broth to make a fluid mixture the texture of thick atole or yogurt, not a solid dough. Add the achiote and salt. This batter sets on its own inside the leaf as it cooks. If the masa is too thick the tamale comes out dry and hard.
Gigote (sofrito): sweat the white and green onion with the garlic and bell pepper in oil over medium heat 12-15 minutes. Add the tomato if using (see ingredient note), the achiote, and salt. Cook 10 minutes more until concentrated. This dense sofrito, called gigote or ahogao in the Valle, is mixed with the marinated meats and worked into the masa. It's what sets the valluno apart from other Colombian tamales.
Prepare the leaves: toast the banana leaves over a direct flame or hot griddle 10-15 seconds per side until they shift from bright to dark, flexible green. Two leaves per tamale, set in a cross over a deep plate — the plate helps with assembly because the masa is liquid.
Assemble: with a ladle, place a generous layer of liquid masa in the center of the leaves. On the masa place a whole chicken piece, a large pork chunk, sliced potato, carrot, a spoon of peas, and a quarter of egg if using. Cover with another layer of masa. Close the leaves into a rectangular packet and tie with twine on all 4 sides, tight, so the masa doesn't escape while it cooks.
Steam: in a large pot, set a rack or a bed of leaves on the bottom. Stand the tamales upright. Add water up to the level of the rack — the tamales steam and are not submerged. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Add hot water if needed without fully uncovering. The tamale is done when, opening one, the masa is firm and pulls cleanly off the leaf.
📊 Nutrition
Approximate values per serving · 15 servings total
490
kcal
30g
Protein
44g
Carbs
18g
Fat
4g
Fiber