Here’s something you don’t see every day. A perfume that smells like a tamal. Yup, that is what one Latina is trying to capture as a way to “capture the culture” of Chicago’s famed Pilsen neighborhood.
CREDIT: weheartit.com
Here is what DNAInfo.com Chicago had to say about Zorayda “Z” Ortiz and her latest tamal-inspired scent:
Part of new line from Zoils Oils perfume called “Tamale,” the scent is an idea Zorayda “Z” Ortiz came up with in an attempt to capture the culture of the Pilsen neighborhood.
“I could go wild and try to create a “pollo” one or an “al pastor” one,” she said referring to a chicken or pork tamale scented oil.
The perfume line, “La Dieciocho” (The 18th), which she hopes to debut in the spring, makes reference to Pilsen’s busy 18th Street.
We could be a bit nit-picky and remind people that if you really want to be authentic, you would call the line “Tamal” or “Tamales,” as some of our readers reminded us when we originally posted the DNAInfo story. Here is what some of theme had to say about the story on our Facebook page:
I don’t know, I think I would feel hungry and then ticked off .
Idiotic. What’s next, try to capture American culture and create McD Big Mac perfume or BK Whopper cologne?
Pink tacos y tamales- orale!
She is a beautiful beam of sunshine but the whole hipster theme running through pilsen makes for things like…i dunno tamale perfume
honestly, Im glad hipsters are in Pilsen, at least they embrace our culture and try to uphold it. A lot of our “people” are either part of this dumb ass YOLO lifestyle, getting drunk, selling drugs and overall remain uneducated. Ortiz’s endeavor is extremely admirable and hell I endorse it. I wish there were more entrepreneurs like her instead of all these damn haters talking shit about “hipsters this. hipsters that” What are you “complainers” doing to promote the culture?
Working, paying taxes, being involved in the community by volunteering with the youth, getting involved with politics, trying to save youth centers, n making sure the tamale man, the elote lady, n the paletero continue to make ends meet n stay in our neighborhood. Pilsen is more than bangers n whatever the hell YOLO is.
Actually sounds interesting. preferably, id rock wear her dia de Los muertos line
Tamal… not “tamalE”
I’d be worried about my fiancé taking a bite out of my neck. Hmmm, on second thought…where can I get some? Lol.
After having to smell tamales the for the last two weeks, I don’t think I can stomach it daily. Of all the things my neighborhood is going through I’d hope other things would make the news, but unless a hipster gets robbed, it’s not newsworthy
I’m sorry, but to really know our culture means to know the correct spelling of a common food like tamales. The singular is T A M A L, not Tamale. When have you ever heard your grandma say “queires un tamale mijo?” Smh. Come on, it’s somewhat excusable for hipsters that don’t know any better, but our own people? Speaking of which, quiero un tamal. The perfume, umm kinda gross, stick to grandmas kitchen for the same
I have read that the sense of smell is the most powerful in bringing back memories. I went to my old high school several weeks ago for an event and I could not believe it. I could have walked in their blindfolded and told you where exactly I was by the smell.