FoodOf Central America and

Mexico

(All pictures are from google images)

Glossary

Tortilla- thin cornmeal pancake Masa dough- dough made from corn Hominy- dried corn kernels Tripe- made from an animal’s stomach Plantains- a type of banana Siesta- long nap/rest

Corn tortilla hominy plantains

Mexico - Diet

tortas (hollow rolls stuffed with meat, cheese, or beans) tamales (masa dough, made of corn, wrapped in a corn husk) quesadillas (tortillas baked with fried cheese) tacos (folded tortilla with meat and vegetables inside) salsa (a dipping sauce made of green or red chiles and green

or red tomatoes, and salt, water, and cilantro) mole (a chile chocolate sauce that can be poured over

chicken) posol (a soup-like dish with hominy and pork, white cabbage,

salsa, or lemon) menuda (similar to posole, but with cow stomach instead of

hominy and pork)

Pictured: tamales

Mexico - Etiquette and Facts

Most meals are eaten as a family.Food bought at a street vendor is eaten at

the stand; it is considered rude to walk down the street while eating

Guatemala - Diet

Tamalitos (similar to Mexico’s tamales)Fried platanos (bananas) are eaten with

honey, cream, or black beans. Meat is usually stewedSauces are an important part of the mealCoffee is served with lots of cream and

sugar.

Pictured: fried platanos

Guatemala - Etiquette and Facts

Most people eat three meals a day, but poorer families may only eat one, and snack on tortillas the rest of the day. Dinner is usually light, and eaten after 7 p.m.

The entire extended family gathers for the main meal (midday) on weekends. Sometimes, women serve the meal and eat later.

Many people eat sweetbread and coffee at 4 p.m.; schoolchildren are served hot cereal at 10 a.m.

After the meal, everyone says muchas gracias (many thanks), to which all reply buen provencho (good appetite).

One must always finish the food on their plate, but wait to be offered more (not ask for it themselves).

El Salvador - Diet Food has much less spice than other Central

American countries Most people eat frijoles (red beans), cooked in

different ways thicker corn tortillas pupusas (tortillas stuffed with meat, beans, and

cheese). Meat is mostly eaten by the wealthy, while

poorer families eat their own livestock, and only every once in a while

Pictured: pupusas

El Salvador - Etiquette and Facts

Guests compliment the host’s foodThe host will continue to offer more food

until the guest declines; in a poorer family’s home, a guest is not expected to accept more food

In rural families, the wife eats alone, after the guests

Men stand when a woman leaves the table.

Honduras - Diet tapado (beef stew with vegetables and coconut

milk) mondongo (tripe and beef knuckles) nacatamales (pork tamales) torrejas (similar to French toast) served at

Christmas) Topogios or charamuscas (frozen fruit juice in

plastic bags) are very popular in the summer months.

Coffee is served with the main meal of the day. Soft drinks are popular, and North American fast

food restaurants are prevalent in big cities. Pictured: topado

Honduras - Etiquette and Facts

Fork is held in right hand, knife in left.Coffee breaks are taken in the late

morning and mid-afternoon.

Nicaragua - Diet

oil is used frequently in cooking gallo pinto (fried rice and beans) is eaten for

breakfast and dinner in many families. enchiladas (tortilla dipped in oil is filled and

topped with cheese, sauce, etc.) nacatamales (tamales in a banana leaf) mondongo vigoron (vegetables with pork skin) baho (meat, vegetables, and plantains) fried platanos

Pictured: enchiladas

Nicaragua - Etiquette and Facts

The midday meal is followed by a siesta.Breakfast is eaten very early to allow the

workday to start earlierRural families eat together most of the

time, but urban families are usually only able to do this on holidays and weekends

Costa Rica - Diet gallo pinto are eaten at virtually every meal casado (beans, salad or eggs, meat, and plantains) is a

common lunch olla de carne (beef stew) Tamales, made with meat, vegetables and cornmeal,

wrapped in a plantain leaf, and stewed (served at Easter and Christmas)

lengua en salsa (beef tongue in sauce) Mondongo empanadas (turnovers) arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) gallos (tortillas with meat and vegetable filling). Coffee is very popular; adults often take 2-3 coffee

breaks per day. Pictured: arroz con pollo

Costa Rica - Etiquette and Facts

Mealtime is to be enjoyed, and is extended by conversation

Panama - Diet

It is said in Panama that “if one hasn't had rice, then they haven't really eaten a meal”, as rice is served with nearly every meal

Fish is common, sometimes in soups For a snack, people will eat a piece of fruit Coffee is served throughout the day Chicha is another popular drink, made from water, sugar,

and fresh fruit. sancocho (chicken soup) guacho (rice soup) bollo (corn mush boiled in the husk) carne guisado (stewed beef with tomatoes and spices) arroz con pollo (but only on special occasions) In urban areas, there is a fusion of traditional dishes and

international foods.

Panama - Etiquette and Facts

Food is served in the following order: guests, men, children, women/cook.