We were big fans of the Tamale Store for a while. The vegetarian tamales were almost like a rite of passage through every farmer's market we've been at - Ahwatukee, Downtown Phoenix, Chandler & Gilbert. They have always been masa-heavy but the salt and spice in the masa is just right that the flavors come off well. \n\nBut since 2008, we feel like the size and quality have been going downhill. Today we bought half dozen, and four of them were incredibly dry and crumbly, and the other two were not because they were cheese-based. The outside looked like they had been sitting open for days, so there was a dried out layer that I mistook for husk. Also, we bought some frozen to take home after a long time, but I just noticed \""natural flavors\"" in the ingredient list. Not quite the small home-style vendor anymore, eh?   \n\nThat is the end of our affair, Tamale Store!