Guatemala: Recipes and Cuisine

Guatemala is a mountainous Central American country nestled between Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. While most Guatemalans are of mixed indigenous and European heritage, large numbers of chapines -- as Guatemalans refer to themselves -- are pure-blooded Mayan with a culture dating back centuries. The ingredients of Guatemalan cuisine are typical for Central America -- corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans, plantains, tomatillos. Several dishes are uniquely Guatemalan, including jocón , pepián , and hilachas and several varieties of tamales.

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Typical Guatemalan Dishes

Boquitas (Appetizers)

Chiles Rellenos (Chiles stuffed with meat)
Taquitos (Stuffed, rolled and fried tortillas)

Sopas (Soups and Stews)

Cak-Ik (Turkey soup)
Caldo de Pata (Cow's foot soup)
Tapado (Seafood stew with plantains)

Ensaladas (Salads)

Chojin (Pork rind and radish salad)
Iguashte (Vegetable salad in pumpkin seed sauce)
Picado de Rábano (Radish salad)

Pollo (Poultry)

Arroz con Pollo Chapina (Guatemalan chicken with rice)
Jocon (Chicken in a tomatillo-cilantro sauce)
Pollo en Pipian (Chicken in tomato-pumpkin seed sauce)

Carne (Meats)

Carne Adobada (Beef simmered in tomato-tomatillo sauce)
Chuchitos (Cornmeal dumplings with pork)
Fiambre Tradicional (Traditional cold cuts)
Hilachas (Guatemalan shredded beef in tomato-tomatillo sauce)
Salpicón (Chopped beef with sour orange, cilantro and onions)

Pescados y Mariscos (Fish and Seafood)

Ceviche (Citrus-marinated seafood)

Verdures y Frijoles (Vegetables and Beans)

Frijoles Negros Volteados (Refried black beans)
Plátanos Fritos (Fried ripe plantains)
Verduras en Escabeche (Pickled vegetables)

Panes y Arroz (Breads and Grains)

Arroz Guatemalteco (Guatemalan rice with vegetables)
Chuchitos (Small, meat-stuffed tamales)
Paches (Potato tamales with chicken)
Tamales de Elote (Fresh corncakes)
Tamales Negros (Black tamales)

Postres (Desserts)

Bunuelos (Yuca fritters)
Manjar (Cornstarch pudding)
Plátanos al Horno (Baked sweet plantains)
Plátanos en Mole (Plantains in chocolate-chipotle sauce)
Rellenitos de Plátano (Mashed plantain filled with black beans)

Bebidas (Beverages)

Cerveza (Beer)
Horchata (Sweet rice beverage)

Recommended Cookbooks


	Spirit of the Earth: Native Cooking from Latin America
	Cooking the Central American Way: Culturally Authentic Foods Including Low-Fat and Vegetarian Recipes (Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks)
	False tongues and Sunday bread: A Guatemalan and Mayan cookbook
	Mayan Cuisine: Recipes from the Yucatan Region
	Foods of the Maya: A Taste of the Yucatán

Guatemalan Recipes

Hilachas

(Guatemalan shredded beef in tomato-tomatillo sauce)

Hilachas is a popular Guatemalan dish made of cooked and shredded beef that is simmered in a mildly spicy tomatillo-tomato sauce. Pair it with a side of rice and fresh corn tortillas for a full meal. Read more »

Horchata de Arroz

(Mexican sweet rice beverage)

Horchata (or-CHA-tah) is a milky white, sweet beverage that was introduced to Spain by the Moors. The original Spanish version is made with ground tiger nuts and is especially popular in Valencia. In Latin America, where the tiger nut is not commonly available, pulverized rice is used. In Mexico, horchata is one of the most common aguas frescas and is ladled from large glass jars set in ice. Read more »

Jocón

(Guatemalan chicken in tomatillo-cilantro sauce)

Jocón or pollo en jocón is a dish popular with the Mayan population of Guatemala. Chicken is simmered in a tasty sauce tinted a beautiful green by tomatillos and cilantro and thickened with ground sesame and pumpkin seeds and corn tortillas. Read more »

Picado de Rábano

(Guatemalan radish salad)

Serve picado de rábano as a refreshing side salad for Guatemalan meals. Adding chicharrones, or fried pork rinds, turns it into a salad called chojin. Read more »

Plátanos Fritos

(Latin fried ripe plantains)

Plátanos fritos are popular in many countries around the world where the plantain is sometimes a major source of starchy calories. It is important to use ripe plantains for this dish (they have black skins). Green plantains will be much too dry. The Caribbean cook will often use fried plantains as an accompaniment to beef or goat dishes. Read more »

Salpicón de Res

(Central American shredded beef salad)

Popular throughout Central America, salpicón is a refreshing salad that is great as a topping for tostadas or wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. It is especially easy to make in large quantities for parties and family gatherings. Read more »

Tamales de Elote

(Central American fresh corncakes)

Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in Mexico and throughout Central America. In El Salvador and Guatemala they are often served as the starchy portion of a meal. The fresh elote, or corn, used in Central America has a higher starch content than that in the United States, but the addition of masa harina in this recipe produces a very good approximation of the original. Read more »

Vinagre de Piña

(Central American pineapple vinegar)

Homemade fruit vinegars are popular throughout Central America, and vinagre de piña is a favorite. The trimmings of a pineapple are mixed with piloncillo and water and are set aside to ferment for a few weeks or months. The light, fruity vinegar that results is perfect for vinaigrettes, in salads like curtido, or for making cebollas encurtidas. Read more »