Exactly right. When Robet Johnson was talking about hot tamales, he was very
aware of the street vendors. Tamales were a product that one could make in
small batches for minimum investment and as your business grew, you could make
more. He recorded in San Antonio so he would have known the tamales of the
Mexicano vendors. But in other songs from the deep South, the tamales referred
to were probably cornmeal mush tamales.

I actually like them and they don't have as high a fat content.

But stick with a traditional pork filling.