Guatemalan food.
No, it’s not the same as Mexican food. Yes, you are mistaken if you thought that.
Here's a Mexican flag:
And here's a Guatemalan flag:
They're different countries with different cultures. But in your defense, I guess, there are a few foods that are similar. That headline picture is actually of garnachas, which are basically tiny little tacos, but different, trust me. Please just Google that after reading this article, as these next foods are a must to know.
Pepián
This is basically chicken, potatoes and chayote (Google that one) with a sauce. While this sounds pretty basic, it is really the sauce that takes this dish to the next level. The sauce is made from a bunch of seeds, including sesame and pumpkin, and then some assorted spices. I think the closest well-known food I can relate it to is curry, but without the taste of curry.
Plátanos Fritos
OK, so you might see these and think, “Those are bananas. Those are literally fried bananas.” But you’re wrong.
They’re plantains, which are bigger and also taste different. I know some people may have had tostones, which look like this:
Those are actually not Guatemalan, and they’re way different from regular plátanos fritos because tostones are double fried and kinda hard.
My favorite way to eat plátanos fritos is with some sour cream and cheese (the queso fresco types that you can find at Mexican stores and Costco).
I could eat this plain.
Plátanos Rellenos
OK, these are basically plátanos fritos, but they’re mashed and then shaped around some sort of filling. My favorite filling is beans, but the cheese filling is awesome too.
Tamales
These are actually also a food in Mexico, but trust me when I tell you that they’re different.
I love Guatemalan tamales because they tend to be much softer and they have a bunch of stuff inside. My grandma’s tamales usually include:
- Pork or chicken in a sauce that’s kind of like the pepián I was explaining earlier
- Roasted red pepper slices
- An olive
- Raisins
- A prune
She also wraps them in banana leaves (as seen above), not corn husks.
These qualities are exactly why my brother doesn’t like them and prefers the Mexican tamales.
I actually pick out everything inside but the meat. While I don’t like the individual fillings (aside from the meat), they add a certain flavor to the dough that makes it perfect.
Also, believe it or not, a lot of people eat this with bread, which used to blow my mind because I'd always eaten them with just sour cream.
Above is an entire video explaining the recipe, but it’s in Spanish. Sorry if you don’t speak Spanish. I’m sure there’s one in English elsewhere!
Frijoles Volteados
These are beans that have been blended and then fried in a skillet until they’re kinda dry and stiff, and yes I know that that description isn’t exactly appealing, but they’re deliciously soft, salty and good.
Homemade Tortillas
These are not your average tortillas!
First off, they’re made from corn, not flour. The kind you need looks like this (in the package):
Once you mix this with water, it’ll look like this:
When you make them by hand (flattening a ball of the dough by moving it between your palms, back and forth), they turn out thick, soft and beautiful.
The women who make these by the dozens on the street have hands of steel. I say that because you have to slap together these things really fast to be able to keep production quick, and then they flip these piping-hot tortillas over with their fingertips so that both sides cook. Applaud them, please.
