Guatemalan Food, Dessert, Culture, and More

Are you looking for Guatemalan food near me on Google? Have you never tried it before? Do you want know what’s so special about this cuisine?

Guatemalan food has a unique ability to win you over – you might have heard that before. But do you tend to believe in whatever people say? Absolutely not!

So we have decided to help you out. In this article, we have gathered some excellent information about Guatemalan food. After reading all about it, you will feel encouraged enough to taste Guatemalan food this instant.

Without any further ado, we are going directly to the good parts, where some amazing Guatemalan food recipes are waiting for you. But first, we would like to give you a proper introduction about the country Guatemala and its culture.

Guatemala culture

Guatemala is a country situated in Central America and surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean islands, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras.

The Mayans vastly influence Guatemalan culture. Because of this, it is pretty evident that their food habits are also primarily based on them. In this article on Guatemalan food, you will find out all about that.

This article is mainly for those who love to eat and tend to taste native recipes. If you are one of them, you must try Guatemalan food once.

Guatemalan food recipes are a combination of several cultures. So you can taste it all at once.

You will find chili, beans, and corn in most Guatemalan recipes, which is not a surprise. Also, you should know that your precious chocolate is originally from Guatemala.

This is for those who don’t know that some Guatemalan food includes rice. That’s a fantastic thing for the rice lovers out there.

It would be very difficult for you to return from Guatemala without tasting some authentic recipes. But there are so many famous food recipes across that country. How could you choose from those?

But you don’t need to think anymore now that we are here to help you. After reading the full article, you should be able to shortlist some popular Guatemalan food. But not only that, but you are also about to learn how to prepare some of those!

Here is the first section for you to read. This section is about some of the authentic recipes of Guatemala. Check it out first before knowing any other details.

 

Traditional Guatemalan food

Whenever you are about to visit a whole new place, it’s essential to know their culture. In that case, food is an essential part of a particular culture.

What if you decide to visit Guatemala? Then you have to rely upon the local foods and recipes largely. So isn’t it better if you know all about traditional Guatemalan food before visiting?

The traditional Guatemalan food recipes are not quite much their own. The Guatemalan people got it mainly from the Mayans and the Spanish people. If you go to Guatemala and don’t taste their traditional recipes, you would miss a golden opportunity. This is because of the traditional Guatemalan food!

In this section, we will give you a good idea about what you should include in your menu while you are there. Start reading, and you won’t be disappointed.

Enchilada

Sometimes a single Enchilada is enough to make you full enough. It’s that kind of snack. It was originally a tortilla made of corn.

In this case, we must express our gratitude to the Mexicans who invented it. But when it comes to Guatemalan Enchilada, the whole preparation is not alike. It’s a layered tortilla made with many vegetables, pork, beef, or chicken and eggs.

Tostadas

Tostadas is also a deeply fried tortilla with several toppings like Cilantro, onions, salsa, beans, cheese, guacamole. Some people make mistakes by identifying it as the same as tortillas. But Tostadas is a type of Tortilla.

It would help if you addressed it before ordering it at a Guatemala restaurant properly. Please do not confuse it with a tortilla.

Tamales

Tamales are another popular and traditional recipe. Like Mexican Tamales, Guatemalan Tamales are also prepared with corn. But the difference between the two is the extra softness of Guatemalan Tamales.

Tamales remain hidden inside banana leaves filled with chicken or pork. It would help if you eliminated those banana leaves before you eat.

Pepian

The Guatemalan people make Pepian with chicken most of the time. But you can prepare it with pork or beef. This particular stew recipe is a combination of Mayan and Spanish influence.

This is perhaps the most traditional food you can find in the whole of Guatemala. Pepian has some variants, and they all are equally delicious. Some of those are prepared with herbs, veggies, and several kinds of fruits.

Once prepared, you can eat it with a tortilla of cornflour or rice. At least this is your way in case you are a traditionalist.

Tapado

Tapado is a traditional Guatemalan food with a Caribbean influence. It is usually prepared with a coconut stalk which is also the main ingredient. It also includes octopus, fish, shrimp, etc.

Moreover, you won’t have to worry about your health while eating it. The best thing about Tapado is that anyone can prepare this dish.

Hilachas

Hilachas is one of the best traditionally essential recipes you can find in Guatemala. This is made with beef, tomatoes, onions, achiote, pepper, salt, and garlic.

Kak’ik

Kak’ik is something that can go against Pepian when it comes to reputation. This, too, traces its history back to the Mayans.

This dish is an authentic recipe generally prepared with some herbs like mint, cilantro,  achiote, coriander, chili, and pepper. Also, they use Turkey breasts, Chicken broth, Tomatoes, onions, garlic, and many more. This dish is immensely famous across Guatemala. Once you go there, it is pretty evident that you will notice this food.

Revolcado

Revolcado is not only famous in Guatemala, but it also has gained popularity across Latin America. You will need the head of pork cut in half to make this special stew. Cumin is also a key ingredient when it comes to preparing broth.

Famous Guatemalan food

In the last section, we have talked about some traditional Guatemalan food. But that’s not all. You need to know about some other famous Guatemalan food too.

So here are some other dishes right from Guatemala just for you. Check it out before you run out of time!

Paches

You already know about Guatemalan Tamales, which are connected to these Patches. In this case, the stuffing is done using potatoes. If you don’t feel like eating Tamales, Patches are appropriate.

The overall taste gets even better and better when the stuffing includes pork, chili, and sauces.

Tortilla

We know that you have heard more than enough about Tortillas already. You do not want to hear the broken records anymore. But things are pretty different when it comes to Guatemalan Tortillas.

If you have any idea about the people of Guatemala, you would know that Tortilla has occupied an extraordinary place in their hearts. They can’t think of a full menu without having Tortillas.

These Tortillas are prepared from corn, and it’s mainly the females who have this responsibility to prepare them. Once you eat a Guatemalan Tortilla, you will determine why this is so special.

Beans

We already wrote that the people of Guatemala have this weakness on beans. They like to include it in nearly every recipe they prepare. So it’s almost impossible to talk about Guatemalan food without mentioning beans.

In Guatemala, we see the use of beans in ways we have never seen before. Especially black beans are primarily the ones we frequently notice in Guatemalan dishes.

Chuchitos

In case you are wondering, Chuchitos are a type of Tamales. This is a special recipe that the Guatemalan people prepare for any celebration.

The main stuffing of Chuchitos is made of chicken or pork with sauce. These are very famous Guatemalan street food. You will find it everywhere there.

Chocolate

Any chocolate, especially hot chocolate, is the trademark of Guatemala. They are solely connected to the tradition of Guatemala. Chocolate has very long and rich history since the Mayans.

To the Mayans, chocolate was some holy object. The Mayan kings consumed hot chocolate even back then.

Dessert Guatemalan food

Be it a traditional dinner or lunch; both are incomplete without dessert. You are just not allowed to leave the table if you decide not to relish a good dessert.

The same is true when it comes to Guatemalan food. You know that there’s always time for a dessert when it comes to any meal. This is why we are here to provide you with some mouthwatering dessert Guatemalan food.

Let’s see what the desserts are:

Rellenitos de Plátano

The first one in the dessert category is Rellenitos de Plátano of Guatemala. This is a trendy sweet dessert which is well fried too. You will mainly need some plantains, beans, chocolate, and cinnamon.

If you want to cook Rellenitos de Platano, that is also quite possible. But it would help if you consumed it along with coffee. You can season it with powdered sugar and honey.

Arroz en Leche

Arroz en Leche is one of the widely recognized desserts across Guatemala. The main advantage of this particular dessert is that it has several uses. Do you want to know how that works?

Arroz en Leche is prepared with rice soaked in boiled water. Then you can eat it instantly, or you can wait for some time so that the whole thing gets cold.

Borracho Cake

Do you know that Borracho Cakes also go by the name of Drunken Cakes? That’s because the literal meaning of Borracho is drunk! And this is not an exaggeration, as the cake is drenched with alcohol eventually.

Borracho cake is made of milk, cornstarch, cinnamon, and raisins. Then you can decide which kind of alcohol you ate going to use in the end. Again the choice is up to you!

Chancleta

The main stuffing of Chancleta is usually done with almonds, nuts, raisins, breadcrumbs, wine, and eggs. Chancleta has its influence over some other territories, not just in Guatemala. You will know that chayote squash can do wonders for real.

Champurradus

Champurradus are original cookies prepared from selected sesame seeds. They are crunchy enough and also relatively easy to prepare.

You are not going to get the ultimate sweetness. If you are not a fan of some extra sweetness, you can go for it.

Pan de banano

You might have already guessed that Pan de Banano has something to do with bananas. Well, you are right here. You can prepare this recipe just using flour, sugar, and bananas.

This recipe is so simple that even a novice can prepare it. You can include some raisins if you wish. The choice is up to you.

Polvorosas

Polvorosas is the last one in this dessert category. But don’t think that this dish is less important than the others for one second. This has enormous popularity all over the nation.

Polvorosas are initially a kind of crispy, and when you first look at it, it would seem somewhat rough to you. But when you taste it, it becomes dusty.

One of the main ingredients of Polvorosas is powdered sugar which is why this particular cookie stands out.

Final thoughts

Now that you know all about Guatemalan food, you have to figure out what to taste first! And this is quite difficult for you. You have so many good options now.

In case you are going to visit Guatemala, you must try local foods. This article is going to help you then.

We bet you are already starving just by going through the whole article. Now think about how you will feel when you taste them all for real!