Texas Tamale Company is proud to be a sponsor of the Texas Tamale Tailgate at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This relationship dates back 20 years to 2002.
We’re told a cadet made a call home saying he had bad news; he wasn’t failing classes, didn’t have frostbite (yet), didn’t need money, but was ailing from an acute lack of Tex-Mex.
“Dad,” he said. “We’re starving for tamales up here.”
His father did what any true Texan would do for his son stationed in upstate New York, he packed 80 dozen tamales in dry ice and headed to the airport. When he told an airline representative what he was shipping to his son and why, they immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
“Just put ‘em in the plane,” he said. No charge.
The very first tamale shipment from Texas was delivered to cadets under a tent on Buffalo Soldier Field at West Point near the historic Thayer Hotel.
From that original mission of culinary mercy, the Texas Tamale Tailgate was born. Now commonly called T3, the transport of Tex-Mex and BBQ from Texas to West Point is an annual post-football game event hosted by Texas parents for Texas cadets and their fortunate friends. The event is housed in the ’49-er Lodge and draws a steady stream of cadets seeking a taste of home and serves anywhere from 600-800 cadets and guests.
