What is a hot tamale?

Answer 1

Tamales are a type of food, generally beef or pork in a chili sauce cooked inside a coating of corn meal. There are also dessert versions which use a fruit filling (sort of like a pie filling). I'm not sure why they're called "hot" tamales specifically, unless it's to make the point that they're being served hot (cold tamales would be kind of gross). It could also refer to the level of spiciness... chili sauce, remember?

It's also the name of a cinnamon-flavored candy similar to a jellybean.

Colloquially, it's been used to refer to an attractive woman, particularly one of Hispanic ancestry, though this is often regarded as derogatory.