I had been assuming that if I make a tamale dough,
I'd have to use a saturated fat like lard or Crisco.
I've eaten a few of the Trader Joe's tamales, and
today I looked at the ingrediants to see what fat
they used.

I didn't see any fat listed. They do have
carragenan, and I suppose that may be what holds
the dough together.

What exactly is the role of lard in a tamale dough?
Does it help hold the dough together? Is it for
texture?