Guatemalan Cuisine – A Mix Of Mayan And Spanish Influences

1. Guatemalan Cuisine – A Mix
Of Mayan And Spanish
Influences

2.  Cuisine Strong Mayan,
Spanish and French
influences
 New Arrivals – Italian,
Chinese, American
 Cuisine is heavily
influenced by domestic
produce

3.  Abundance of cheap options for tourists
including home run restaurants, shacks and
local delies
 High end restaurants present in certain touristy
areas
 Diverse, fascinating options for foreign
travellers

4.  Household Staples- Tortillas,
fried eggs, beans, plantains
and other locally available
produce
 Basic staples available in most
local delis as well
 Tropical fruits such as
papaya, pineapple, guava,
mangoes, bananas and
avocados are consumed too
 Coffee is a part of the
breakfast meal in every
household and Guatemala is
renowned for its production
of high quality bean

5.  Staples- Rice, beans, cheese and meat
 Meat- Pork, Chicken, and beef
 Roast chicken comes with the feet attached in many restaurants
around the country, so be prepared
 The diet is very similar to that of Mexico with the only difference
being that it is comparatively cheaper
 Nachos, tamale and enchiladas are available in every street corner
and offer a cheap and light meal

6.  Chicken Pepian- served with pumpkin sauce and sesame seeds
 Chiles Relenos – stuffed with cheese, rice, and meat of your choice
 Kak’ik- A turkey soup which is a popular Mayan delicacy made with herbs and spices
including achiote, peppers and coriander
 Fiambre - A popular cold salad dish made during the Day of the Dead, and it may
contain up to 50 ingredients
 Jacon- A green chicken stew

7.  Hilachas- Shredded beef served with a red sauce
 Estofado- A meat- vegetable stew (beef, carrot and potato)
 Pollo en Crema- A creamy chicken stew
 Pollo Guisada- Spanish stew made with chicken

8.  Tacos- These are very popular and made with fried tortillas and an
assortment of meat and vegetables
 Yucca Con Chicharron- Fried pork chucks and boiled cassava
 Shucos – A popular guatamelan version of the hotdog usually containing
guacamole
 Enchiladas – These are available widely. Basically, fried tortillas containing a
variety of meat, peppers, cheese, vegetables and other ingredients

9.  Some of these delicacies are reserved for special days such as Day of the
Dead, All Saints Day and other annual festivals
 Ayote en Dulce- This is a squash made with a sweet sauce, usually syrupy
 Fiambre maybe red or white depending on the ingredients and is usually
served on November 1 and 2
 Salpicon- A chopped meat dish served with herbs, and a dash of lemon
 Chojin- Similar to Salpicon but is made with the skin of pork
 The Guatamelan ceviche contains snails, shrimp, clams and fish
(sometimes more ingredients too)

10.  Despite having a primarily meat based diet, Guatemalan food includes
plenty of vegetables and vegetarian dishes too. The food options vary
throughout the country and heavy traditional influences of the Mayans
can be seen widely.
 Authentic street food is available throughout the country and push
vendors sell everything from nachos to grilled corn.
 The best way to describe Guatemalan food is as follows: Cheap, tasty
and absolutely fantastic