XLNT Foods
 XLNT Tamale Co. horse-drawn delivery wagon, 1906 | |
| Formerly | XLNT Tamale Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mexican cuisine |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Founder | Alejandro Morales |
| Products | Tamales, chili con carne |
| Website | xlntfoods |
XLNT Foods (pronounced "excellent") is an American food company based in Southern California. It is one of the oldest companies based in Southern California, and is the longest continuously operating brand of Mexican cuisine in the United States. In the mid-20th century, the company shifted to selling frozen tamales and chili con carne.
History
[edit]XLNT Foods was founded in 1894 by Alejandro Morales as the XLNT Tamale Company. Their tamales became a popular ethnic food in Los Angeles.[1] Their food were originally sold in Los Angeles by tamaleros out of horse-drawn wagons.[2] The company waspart of a trend which began in the 1870s,[3] of horse-drawn wagon food cart businesses in Los Angeles.[3] XLNT had a factory in Boyle Heights and also sold tamales from horse-drawn carts and grocery stores. In 1908, Charles Crawford, of Canadian and Dutch descent, took over the ownership of the company. At the height of their operation, the company produced 60 food products.[1]
In the mid-20th century, XLNT products were popular as convenience foods alongside TV dinners.[4] In the 1960s, the company was acquired by Alex Foods,[5] a company that also produced tamales and flavored corn chips in Southern California.[1] A softball team in Santa Barbara, California active c. 1960 was sponsored by XLNT Foods.[6] In 2010, the company changed hands again and was bought by Santa Fe Importers.[1] As of 2011, the company still uses their 1906 tamale recipe.[7]
The company's food products were originally only available in Southern California, but in 2021, an online storefront was launched alongside nationwide shipping via the United Parcel Service. The website also sells XLNT merchandise.[8] The company is now based in Long Beach, California.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Arellano, Gustavo (23 December 2019). "The XLNT tamales go back 125 years, capturing nostalgia for Californians across the U.S." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Arellano, Gustavo (8 September 2011). "Tamales, Los Angeles' first street fool". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b Madrigal, Alexis C. (2011-09-08). "The Original Food Truck: Los Angeles's Tamale Wagons". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
- ^ Black, Kent (31 March 2016). "Classic TV dinners - Midcentury Cuisine in all its Bad Glory". Palms Springs Life. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "How Doritos Were Born at Disneyland". Orange County Weekly. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "XLNT Foods Nip Phonemen". Santa Barbara News-Press. 16 August 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- ^ "Tamales, L.A.'s original street food". Los Angeles Times. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
- ^ Maschke, Alena (4 November 2021). "Long Beach-based freezer staple XLNT Foods now ships tamales, chili and merch nationwide". Long Beach Business Journal. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "XLNT Foods, Our Story". XLNT Foods. Retrieved 3 December 2021.