One of Detroit’s most beloved Mexican specialty supermarkets, Honey Bee’s tamale selection is great for a quick weeknight food run. Grab a dozen slender tamales filled with pork in red sauce in the prepared food section and reheat accordingly. Not that there will be any leftovers but if you did want to save some for later, these babies do well in the freezer. And for those who are looking for an already-frozen option, those are also available.

Algo Especial is excellent for picking up otherwise hard-to-find traditional Mexican ingredients — like dried pipian seeds, epazote leaves, and cactus paddles — perfect for those moments when you’re looking to broaden your repertoire in the kitchen or recreate Abuela’s home cooking. The shop is also known for its selection of distinctly fluffy tamales: pork with mole rojo, chicken in salsa verde, rajas and cheese, and sweet, bright-red strawberry or pineapple.

This second-generation spot has been around since the late 1950s and focuses solely on the art of tamale-making. The space does not allow for dining in, as the back of the house is where all the magic happens. This time of year, owner Susy Garza and her crew of tamaleros clock in an average of 70 hours a week churning out pork, chicken, beef, cheese, bean, and dulce tamales. A few notes: These tamales are quite petit so the more, the merrier; customers can order up to 10 dozen at a time; for those who prefer to host a tamalada (a tamale-making party) at home, guests can also purchase up to 50 pounds of pre-made masa; oh, and bring cash because cards are not accepted.

People flock to the family-owned La Gloria Bakery on Bagley for its variety of conchas, churros, cookies, and other Mexican sweets, but also because of its tamales. The narrow tamales here are available with pork, chicken, and cheese and jalapeno, and during the holidays also come with bean and cheese. Like any bakery, items here are made fresh daily so don’t wait until late in the day to pick up a bag, which are available by the dozen.

This Honduran diner serves a range of filling comfort foods including pupusas with loroco flower, and fried yucca, as well as several Central American breakfast staples like platanos served with black beans and crema. The spot also specializes in Honduran-style tamales. While they also use corn dough, the masa here is silkier in texture than its Mexican counterparts and come wrapped in a banana leaf. As for fillings, the tamales here are stuffed with rice, chunks of potatoes, sweet peas, and choice of chicken or beef. Wash it down with Banana Tropical and Kolashampan sodas or a warm mug of atol de elote.

Another supermarket tamale force to be reckoned with is Prince Valley Market on Michigan Avenue, where, on top of its vast offerings of produce, baked goods, and prepared Mexican fare, the store also bangs out upwards of 1,000 tamales a day during the holiday season. Purchase them ready-made by the dozen in pork or chicken with red sauce, as well as meat-free jalapeño and cheese. For the families that want to throw down with a tamale-making party at home, Prince Valley also sells all of the ingredients needed for a DIY experience.

For the Salvadoran diaspora community in Detroit, La Cuscatleca is a mainstay for groceries, sweet and satisfyingly warm cups of atol de elote, and a brief menu of Central American specialties, including its banana leaf-wrapped, soft tamales prepared with shredded chicken or pork. Throw in a couple of savory pupusas made with rice flour and choice of fillings, and you’ve got yourself a filling and satisfying source of comfort food.

Pasteles en hoja are the Puerto Rican relatives of tamales, and they’re available at Rincon Tropical on Michigan Avenue — one of the few established brick and mortar Puerto Rican eateries in town (though there are a number of informal, home-based Puerto Rican eateries throughout Southwest Detroit, if you’re lucky enough to know their whereabouts). Instead of using corn masa, pasteles en hoja utilize a base of savory, unripened plantain that’s mashed into a dough-like consistency and spread over a banana leaf. At Rincon Tropical, they’re available with pork or chicken. Be sure to call ahead as the hours here are said to be somewhat inconsistent. Round out the holiday festivities by whipping up a batch of coquito.