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Christmas Rush Underway At Tamale Shop In Rancho Cucamonga

RANCHO CUCAMONGA (CBSLA.com) — In the tamale business, timing is everything.

You have to move quick before the masa dries and make sure the tamales are steamed just right.

And if you're a customer at Mary's Tamales in Rancho Cucamonga, you have to make sure your order was in long before Wednesday.

"The people say, 'Your tamales are the best', but I say 'I don't know if they're the best, but I'm sure they're delicious'," said Solomon Arce, owner of Mary's Tamales.

Out of the chicken, cheese, pork and beef, CBS2/KCAL9's Crystal Cruz tried the chicken tamale, which has green salsa, jalapeno and Arce's sister Maria's special recipe.

But other customers looking for their own little taste of Christmas weren't as lucky.

"Too bad I waited till the last minute," said customer Gloria Gaxiola. "I'm one of those last minute shoppers, but anyway I'm still gonna go out and look for some others."

Some customers were paying as much as $70 for bigger orders of the Christmas classic.

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