Cuisine of Guatemala
Encyclopedia
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, in that it involves food that differs in taste depending on the region. Guatemala has 22 departments (or divisions), each of which has very different food varieties. For example Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches...
is well known for its candy which makes use of many local ingredients fruits, seeds and nuts along with honey, condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
and other traditional sweeteners. Antigua's candy is very popular when tourists visit the country for the first time, and is a great choice in the search for new and interesting flavors.
Many traditional foods are based on Maya cuisine and prominently feature corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, chiles
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
and beans as key ingredients. Various dishes may have the same name as a dish from a neighboring country, but may in fact be quite different for example the enchilada
Enchilada
An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.-Etymology:...
or quesadilla
Quesadilla
A quesadilla is a flour or corn tortilla filled with a savoury mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape. This dish originated in Mexico, and the name is derived from the Spanish word queso ....
, which are nothing like their Mexican counterparts
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
.
There are also foods that it is traditional to eat on certain days of the week - for example, by tradition it is known that on Thursday, the typical food is "paches" which is like a tamale made with a base of potato, and on Saturday it is traditional to eat tamales. Certain dishes are also associated with special occasions, such as fiambre
Fiambre
Fiambre is a traditional Guatemalan dish that is eaten on November 1 and 2. Guatemala, like many other Catholic countries, celebrates the Day of the Dead and the All Saints Day...
for All Saints Day on November 1 and tamales which are common around Christmas.
Varieties of Guatemalan tamales
There are reportedly hundreds of varieties of tamales throughout Guatemala. They key variations are what is in the masaMasa
Masa is Spanish for dough. In the Americas it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina,...
or dough (corn, potatoes, rice), what's in the filling (meat, fruits, nuts), and what is it wrapped with (leaves, husks). Tamales in Guatemala tend to be wrapped in green leaves, (mashan), while Chuchitos — which resemble Mexican tamales — are wrapped in corn husks. The masa
Masa
Masa is Spanish for dough. In the Americas it is often short for masa de maíz, a maize dough made from freshly prepared hominy. It is used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes. The dried and powdered form is called masa harina, masa de harina,...
is made out of corn that is not sweet, such as what is known as feed corn in the U.S. In Guatemala, this non-sweet corn is called maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and the corn that Americans are used to eating on the cob (sweet corn), Guatemalans call elote
Elote
Elote , is the Mexican name for corn on the cob. They are a popular street food in Mexico, although they are frequently served at home prepared in the same way . In Mexico, Chicago, and the southern U.S., it is customary to consume elotes on a stick, or by grasping the husk of the cob that has been...
. Tamales in Guatemala are more typically wrapped in plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
or banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
leaves and mashan leaves than corn husks. Additionally Guatemalan tamales use cooked masa, something that takes a lot of time and work.
- Tamales colorados ("red tamales") owe their name to the tomato and achioteAchioteAchiote is a shrub or small tree from the tropical region of the Americas. The name derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, achiotl. It is also known as Aploppas, and its original Tupi name urucu. It is cultivated there and in Southeast Asia, where it was introduced by the Spanish in the...
(annato seed) that give them their color, enveloped with corn masa and are stuffed with tomato recado, roasted red bell pepper strips, capers, green olives, and chicken, beef or pork.
- Tamales negros ("black tamales") are darker and sweeter than their red counterparts due to the chocolate, raisins and almonds which are added to them. Other black tamales are not sweet but are simply made out of blue/black corn.
- Tamales de elote ("sweet corn tamales") do not use the typical masa but instead are made out of sweet corn. These usually contain whole kernels of corn in the masa and do not generally contain meat.
- Chuchitos ("little dogs") are a very typical kind of Guatemalan tamal made using the same corn masa as a regular tamal but they are smaller and with a much firmer consistency and wrapped in a tusas (corn husks) instead of plantain leaves. These tamales are smaller than the tamales above because they are usually very plain with no filling and are used instead to dip in other things such as soup or salsa. Chuchitos are often accompanied by a tomato based sauce and sprinkled with a hard, salty white cheese, from ZacapaZacapaZacapa is a city in eastern Guatemala, along the Río Grande de Zacapa. It is renowned locally for its manual crafting of cigars, hard dry cheese and a flavored cake made with said cheese ....
. Chuchitos are a very common and are commonly served at luncheons, dinners and celebrations. The masa can be mixed with tomato recado or with a meat broth, if available.
- Tamalitos de chipilínChipilínCrotalaria longirostrata, the Chipilín, is a perennial legume that is native to Mexico and Central America. Other common names include Chepil, Chepilin, and Longbeak Rattlebox.-Description:...
and tamales de loroco are other varieties that have said ingredients added to the mix.
- Paches are a kind of tamal made from potatoes instead of corn
Entrees
- Tapado - estilo "Aurora"
- Chiles Rellenos en Salsa de Tomate
- Gallo en Chicha
- "Pipian de indio" (receta del siglo XIX)
- Pepian (Receta guatemalteca siglo XIX)
- Subanik http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/10/08/subanik/
- Cack-ik (Turkey soup with "ik" a spicy chile from CobánCobánThe city of Cobán is the capital of the department of Alta Verapaz in central Guatemala. It also serves as the administrative center for the surrounding Cobán municipality. It is located 219 km from Guatemala City....
often eaten on New Year's DayNew Year's DayNew Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
) - Caldo de Res
- Caldo de Gallina
- Jocón
- Hilachas
- Güicoyitos rellenos (zuchinis)
- Pollo a la Cerveza
- Caldo de Res - A beef and vegetable soup
- Pavo Relleno - Stuffed Turkey
- Pollo Guisado - Spanish Stewed Chicken
- Carne Guisada de Marrano Estilo CostaSur
- Pollo Relleno
- Pollo Frito - Fried Chicken
- Chuletas fascinante - "Fascinating Chops", a breaded pan-fried pork chop
- Ensalada en Escabeche
- Pollo Encebollado
- Estofado - Beef, Potato and Carrot Stew
- Revolcado - Tomato-based curry with spices and cow’s underbelly
- Pollo en Crema - Chicken in Cream
- Carne Adobada - Marinated Beef
- Pulique
Recipes
Guatemalan Quesadilla
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 oz Parmesan Cheese (grated)
3 eggs
1 stick butter (small)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Sesame Seeds
Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at the time. Sift flour and Baking powder. Add to sugar mixture little by little. Add sour cream, parmesan cheese mixing well. Grease spring pan or baking dish with butter. Add mixture evenly. Decorate with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes.
Desserts
- Pastel de Banano
- Repollitos con Dulce de Leche
- Tortitas de YucaCassavaCassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
- Chancletas de Güisquil
- Arroz con Leche
- QuesadillaQuesadillaA quesadilla is a flour or corn tortilla filled with a savoury mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape. This dish originated in Mexico, and the name is derived from the Spanish word queso ....
- AtolAtoleAtole is a traditional masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drink. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole...
de Elote - Buñuelos
- MoleMole (sauce)Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
de platanosPlantainPlantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana... - FlanFlanCrème caramel , flan , or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top...
de Leche Condensada - Dulce de lecheDulce de lecheDulce de leche is a thick,creamy, caramel-like milk-based sauce or spread.Literally translated, dulce de leche means "sweet from milk". It is prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from caramelised sugar. It is a popular sweet in Latin America, where...
- Pastel de Tres LechesTres leches cakeA tres leches cake, or pastel de tres leches , or pan tres leches , is a sponge cake—in some recipes, a butter cake—soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.When butter is not used, the tres leches is a very light cake, with many air bubbles...
- Pastel de Zanahoria
- guatemalan quesadilla
Snacks
- Tamalitos de chipilín
- Tamalitos de elote
- Tamales de frijol con chiltepeChiltepin pepperCapsicum annuum var. glabriusculum is a variety of Capsicum annuum that is native to southern North America and northern South America. Common names include chiltepin, chiltepe, and chile tepin. This variety is the most likely progenitor of the domesticated C. annuum var...
- Frijolitos fritos
- Chuchitos
- Rellenitos de plátano
- Shucos (Hot dog tradicional chapín)
- Dobladas de queso, carne o pollo
- Chicharrones y carnitas
- Longanizas
- Enchiladas
- Tostadas de guacamol, frijol, o salsa
- Tacos de carne o pollo (fried rolled up tortillas filled with meat or chicken)
- Yuca con chicharrón
Traditional food "Día de todos los Santos" (Nov 1st)
- FiambreFiambreFiambre is a traditional Guatemalan dish that is eaten on November 1 and 2. Guatemala, like many other Catholic countries, celebrates the Day of the Dead and the All Saints Day...
Tradicional - Fiambre Colorado y Blanco
- Verduras en escabeche
- Empanadas de ayote
- Molletes rellenos
- Garbanzos
- MoleMole (sauce)Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
de plátano - Ayote
- Jocotes en miel
- Tamales
Other
- Salpicón
- Chirmol Chapín (Chirmol de huevos)
- GuacamolGuacamoleGuacamole , is an avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete with sea salt. Some recipes call for limited tomato, spicy Asian spices such as white onion, lime juice, and/or additional seasonings.-History:Guacamole was made by...
Chapín - ConsomeConsomméIn cooking, a consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavored stock or bouillon that has been clarified usually through a fining process involving egg protein. It usually requires an advanced knowledge of cooking and past experience to create a high quality consommé...
Quita Goma - CevicheCevicheCeviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...
de Camarón - CevicheCevicheCeviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...
Mixto - Sopa de Salchicha