But we're not speaking Spanish. In English, it is a Tamale.

Yes, that is the reason for the parenthetical, and my observation was purely informational. I do say tamal in English. Is that incorrect? I hope not.

In fact, even in Spanish it is probably dialectically variant from place to place.

I doubt that, but I would be happily corrected if you'd tell which dialects or point me to some texts that the variant in use. The Spanish Wikipedia article has some of the other words used for the comestible (link). The article does say that in the USA the term tamale is used, but it is not obvious whether it is anglo- or hispanophones who use the term.

Ceci n'est pas un seing.