Been making vegan Mexican food for a while and the #1 question I get is "how do you get tamales to taste right without lard?" Here's the actual trick: it's not about finding a 1:1 lard substitute, it's about layering fat AND umami separately. We whip refined coconut oil with a reduced vegetable broth, then fold in nutritional yeast + a touch of miso for the savory depth lard usually carries. The masa still gets that rich, fluffy texture, but the flavor comes from the broth, not the fat.

Same logic applies to jackfruit tacos — people over-season the jackfruit itself when the real move is nailing the salsa and toppings, because jackfruit's job is texture, not flavor.

If you're vegan/vegetarian and love Mexican food, we're building this out at Vegan Vatos — happy to answer questions if anyone's trying this at home.