Guatemalan cuisine facts for kids

Caldo de res, or beef soup

Guatemalan cuisine is a delicious mix of ancient Maya traditions and Spanish flavors. The main ingredients you'll find in many dishes are corn, chilies, and beans. Guatemala is also famous for its tasty Hass avocados!

Some foods are special for certain days or celebrations. For example, people often eat paches (a type of tamale made from potatoes) on Thursdays. For All Saints Day on November 1st, a unique dish called fiambre is popular. And around Christmas, you'll find many delicious tamales.

A Taste of History: How Guatemalan Food Evolved

Ancient Maya Flavors (Before 900 AD)

Volcanic stone metate traditionally used to grind maize

Long ago, around 2000 BC, the Maya people started farming and living in villages. They grew important foods like maize (corn), beans, squash, and chili peppers. They also hunted animals like deer, rabbits, and turkeys.

Corn became super important in the Maya diet. To make it even healthier and easier to use, they had a special trick called nixtamalization. This meant cooking the corn with minerals, like a type of lime. This process made the corn more nutritious. After cooking, they would grind the corn into a dough called masa using a stone tool called a metate.

New Foods from Far Away (After 1492)

Tamales are a traditional food eaten in Guatemala on special occasions, especially during Christmastime and around other holidays. They are pouches of masa usually filled with meat, such as pork and chicken, but sometimes filled with vegetables such as maize and potatoes, and are usually wrapped in banana leaves.

When the Spanish explorers arrived in the Americas, they brought many new foods from Europe. These included wheat (for bread), barley, bananas, sugarcane, olive oil, and coffee. They also brought farm animals like horses, pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep.

The Spanish also introduced new ways of cooking. They taught people how to fry foods, bake in ovens, and dry foods in the sun. This blend of Maya ingredients and Spanish cooking styles created the unique and tasty Guatemalan food we know today!

Guatemalan Cooking Style and Famous Tamales

Many Guatemalan dishes are cooked without much cooking oil. Ingredients might be placed directly on a special flat griddle called a comal or wrapped in leaves. You might notice that some dish names end with '-ik'. This word means "chili" in several Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala!

Exploring the World of Guatemalan Tamales

Black and red tamales in Guatemala

Guatemala is famous for its many kinds of tamales – there are hundreds! A tamale is like a little package of dough, usually made from corn, with a yummy filling inside. They are often wrapped in leaves before being cooked.

Here are some popular types:

• Tamales colorados: These are "red tamales." They get their color from tomatoes and a special seed called achiote. They are filled with a thick, flavorful sauce (called recado), bell pepper strips, olives, and meat like chicken, beef, or pork.
• Tamales negros: These are "black tamales." Some are darker and sweeter because they have chocolate, raisins, and almonds. Others are simply made from blue or black corn.
• Tamales de elote: These are "sweet corn tamales." Instead of regular corn dough, they use sweet corn. They often have whole corn kernels and usually don't have meat.
• Chuchitos: Meaning "small dogs," these are smaller tamales. They have a firmer texture and are wrapped in dried corn husks instead of banana leaves. Chuchitos are often served with a simple tomato sauce and a sprinkle of salty white cheese. They are popular for meals and parties.
• Paches: These are a special kind of tamale made from potatoes instead of corn dough.

Delicious Guatemalan Dishes to Try

Guatemalan cuisine offers a wide variety of tasty foods. Here are some popular dishes you might find:

Main Dishes

Rice Dishes

Rice is a common side dish in Guatemala.

• Arroz con frijoles: Rice mixed with black beans, sometimes called "casamiento."
• Arroz con pollo: A delicious dish of chicken and rice, similar to a Spanish paella.

Sweet Treats and Desserts

• Arroz con leche: The Spanish version of rice pudding, creamy and sweet.
• Atol de elote: A warm, sweet drink made from corn.
• Buñuelos: Sweet fried dough balls, often soaked in syrup.
• Rellenitos de plátano: Small balls made from mashed plantains, filled with sweetened black beans, fried, and sprinkled with sugar.
• Mole de platano: Fried plantain slices served in a unique chocolate-based sauce with a hint of chili.

Quick Bites and Snacks

Chicharrones in Guatemala

• Shucos: These are Guatemala's version of a hot dog! They often come with guacamole, cabbage, and mayonnaise. They were first created in Guatemala City.
• Chicharrones: Crispy fried pork skins, a popular snack.
• Tostadas: Fried corn tortillas topped with guacamole, refried beans, or tomato sauce.
• Tacos de carne o pollo: Fried, rolled-up corn tortillas filled with meat or chicken.

Special Holiday Foods for All Saints Day (November 1)

• Fiambre: A very special and colorful salad with many different meats and pickled vegetables. It can be "white" or "red" depending on if beets are used.
• Ayote en dulce: A type of squash cooked in a sweet syrup.

See also

In Spanish: Gastronomía de Guatemala para niños

• Latin American cuisine
• Indigenous cuisine of the Americas