Us and the Kiddos: Guatemala

The next choice landed us in Central America. Guatemala was up! Another one we had never done before, so that was awesome. Another cool note, is that Bella went to Guatemala over Spring Break, so it was cool to be able to talk to her about some of these dishes and ask her opinion on how they tasted vs what she remembers from actually being there. Super neat.

GUATEMALA

Facts About Guatemala:

via the factfile.org

The instant coffee process was invented in Guatemala by George Washington,an inventor, and businessman of Anglo-Belgian origin
The first ever chocolate bar was also invented in Guatemala during the Mayan times.
Chocolate residue dating back to 460-480 AD was found in a vessel in Guatemala.
Guatemala is known for its steep volcanoes, vast rainforests, and ancient Mayan sites.
Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America. The country saw 6,000 violent deaths in 2014. And an average of 101 murders per week were reported in 2016
There are more than 30 volcanoes in Guatemala, out of which three are active.
The export of coffee is the country’s biggest business. Almost 50% of Guatemalans are employed in agricultural activities.
Fourteen percent (14%) of Guatemalans live on less than $1.25 US a day.
Guatemala cuisine is primarily based on Mayan and Spanish cuisineand prominently includes beans, corn, and chilies as key ingredients in their food recipes. Pachas (a kind of tamale made from potatoes) is a common dish in Guatemala eaten usually on Thursdays.
locals in Guatemala prefer to drink coffee weak and sweet with little milk. Apart from drinking fruit juices, Guatemalans also love drinking fruit shakes, commonly referred as “licuados”. The national beer of Guatemala is Gallo.
the Mayan people are known to wear bright colored shirts, blouses, dresses, and capes. Each village has its own individualist pattern, making it easy to identify the village of the person by the design of his or her clothes. While traditional clothing is worn often by the poorer Guatemalans, Ladinos prefer wearing western- style outfits.
families in Guatemala share a close bond with each other and remain that way their entire lives. The typical rural family of Guatemala is hard – working. While men work in the fields, women raise their children and weave beautiful textiles with motifs that are unique to each community.
if you put your thumb in between your index and middle finger while making a fist, it is considered an obscene gesture. Similarly, speaking loudly in public is looked down upon.
marriages in Guatemalan society is celebrated in a civil ceremony, followed by a religious rite. Among the poor classes of both the Ladino and Mayan, unions are free and ties are brittle. As a result, many children are unaware nor are recognized by their father. Although Monogamy is a rule, many men have a wife as well as a mistresas soon as a baby is born, hot tortilla drink is given to the mother. It is believed that drinking hot tortilla helps provide abundant, good and rich breast milk. A red bracelet is put on the baby’s right hand to protect her from bad spirited people.
If invited to a household in Guatemala, it is appropriate to bring chocolates, wine or flowers (avoid taking white flowers as they are generally brought to funerals)
events such as the ‘Semana Santa’ Easter celebrations, All – Saints – Day, the election of Maya princess ‘Rabin Ajau’ in Copán and the ‘Palo Volador’ are some of the events that represent Guatemala culture. In addition, every village celebrates the day of their Patron Saint, where cultural activities such as a presentation of crafts, processions and folkloric dances take place.
when invited to a Guatemala household for dinner, carry a small gift item (avoid food items) for the family. Before starting a meal, it is a custom in Guatemala to say to everyone “Buen provecho” (enjoy your meal). Similarly, before getting from the table after having the meal, you must say “Con permiso, ya vengo”(with your permission, I’ll be right back
when a person passes away in Guatemala, they are buried in a wooden coffin hours after their death. To prevent the soul of the dead from returning to haunt the village, Guatemalans place the treasured items of the deceased along with them.
It is a Guatemalan tradition to fire guns into the sky during the Christmas celebration. Sadly, every year between five and ten people die from falling bullets after the act.
Guatemalans celebrate “Dia de los Muertos,” or the Day of the Dead,every November 1st. On this day, Guatemalans visit the local cemetery and fly kites in memory of their loved ones. People also paint the gravestones of their relatives with bright colors.
Guatemalans consume a lot of corn, beans, and rice, which are served alongside meat and fish.
For breakfast, Guatemalans use eggs, spicy salsas and warm tortillas that are usually served with local cheeses.
Fruits also form a significant portion of the diets of Guatemalans. They eat fruits like papayas, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and carambola.
Guatemalans eat a meat-heavy diet. Pork and beef is very popular. In some rural regions, chicken is served with the feet still attached.

One of my favorite mexican dishes is enchiladas suizas- a chicken enchilada dish made with a green tomatillo salsa. Jocon de pollo is basically a thick chicken stew type dish, made with very similar ingredients.

the recipe called for pepitas, or pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. i dont like either, so I was leary

you roasted the seeds first in a cast iron pan

once they got a golden color, you let them cool and then ground them into a fine powder

the 'stew' is done. smells fantastic!

picture via glutensugardairyfree.com

what it takes to make the beans!

The beans were quite flavorful. Cooked in a pressure cooker, they are fast, and could be eaten with a variety of meals. Awesome. The original recipe mashes them, but also states you can leave them whole, which seems to be the most common, so that's what I did.

photo via allrecipes.com

The Guatemalan Rice was eaten in huge spoonfuls, so I wasn't able to get any pictures. Originally, I was going to use the recipe out of the 'Recipes of the World' book, but then I found the one linked above online and decided to use that one.

The recipe from the book is as follows:

2 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup mixed vegetables: carrots, celery, red bell pepper, green peas), finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken stock

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, and add the rice.
Saute lightly until the rice has absorbed the oil, being careful not to let it change color.
Add the mixed vegetables, salt, pepper and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook for about 20 minutes until rice in render and the liquid is absorbed.