10 Most Popular Foods in Nicaragua

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Located between two water bodies, Nicaragua is a Central American country. Nicaraguan cuisine is diverse in nature, and the people of Nicaragua prefer their food spicy.

If you step foot in any of the Nicaraguan restaurants, you will see on the menu several items like roast meat, roast pork, fried banana, fried tacos, enchiladas, etc. Let’s learn about the top 10 popular dishes in Nicaragua.

1. Baho

If you are fond of beef, you might like this brisket dish of Baho. The dish is prepared, wrapping it in banana leaves. Instead of Baho, some foodies prefer calling the dish Nicaraguan Vaho as well. To prepare the recipe from scratch, you will need cabbage strips, tomatoes, chopped onion, etc. Yuca or Cassava is the most important ingredient of Baho.

Recipe for Baho

2. Quesillo

This is a special type of flan served at the end of every Nicaragua dinner. Natives of Nicaragua use fresh cheese, raw cow milk, maize curd, etc., to prepare Quesillo. In many countries, the dish is served as an appetizer.

Recipe for Quesillo

3. Gallo Pinto

If you have rice, black beans, bell pepper, onion, coriander, etc., with you, you can easily make Gallo Pinto. This traditional dish is cooked with several vegetables such as cilantro, peppers, celery, and so on. You can serve the recipe of Gallo Pinto for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Recipe for Gallo Pinto

4. Rondon

Rondon is nothing but a special type of Caribbean stew made from good quality coconut. People of Nicaragua serve the dish to their guests on festive occasions. It is entirely cooked in coconut milk, yucca, sweet potato, shrimp shells, green bananas, and so on. Seafood makes the recipe extraordinarily savory.

Recipe for Rondon

5. Arroz con Pescado

This savory fish dish is made of tomato, shredded fish, rice, bitter oranges, spearmint, and so on. To prepare this delicacy of Arroz con Pescado, you can either use snapper or snook fish. The marine fishes taste better in this savory food. Foodies will love the dish with fresh salad and steamed rice. You can make a nice salad from salad cookbooks as well.

Recipe for Arroz con Pescado

6. Indio Viejo

Made with garlic, onion, tomatoes, and other vegetables, the Indio Viego is a popular central American recipe. Shredded beef is also used in this delicious recipe. This hearty stew dates back to the pre-Columbian era. Water-drenched tortillas are also used for cooking the recipe of Indio Viejo.

Recipe for Indio Viejo

7. Sopa de cola

This traditional Sopa de cola is mainly a tasty soup made with oxtail. The native Nicaraguan people prepare the dish in a large metal pot. Then, they add a variety of herbs, spices, vegetables like onions, scallions, carrots, tomatoes, etc. Finally, the dish of Sopa de cola is garnished with some lemon juice.

Recipe for Sopa de cola

8. Nacatamal

This traditional recipe is made from corn dough. People of Nicaragua either use chicken or pork to prepare this excellent recipe. The Nacatamal is cooked in fresh olive oil. Chefs add various ingredients like prunes, raisins, etc., to Nacatamal. Mint flavor and the chili flakes make the food of Nacatamal extra delicious.

Recipe for Nacatamal

9. Tres Leches Cake

This moist dessert is nothing but a savory sponge cake. This central American dessert is prepared with three types of milk. But, it will taste the best if you add condensed milk to the recipe. On the top surface of the Tres Leches Cake, there remains a whipped milk cream.

Recipe for Tres Leches Cake

10. Berenjenas Rellenas

From the name of the dish, you can understand that it is nothing but stuffed eggplant. The eggplants are cut from the middle, and later they are baked in the oven. For the filling, the natives of Nicaragua use tomatoes, onions, peppers, mashed potatoes, etc.

Recipe for Berenjenas Rellenas

Sources:

Tasteatlas

Culture Trip