The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Nicaraguan Foods. If you manage to be in an Nicaraguan restaurant or you are visiting Nicaragua, I recommend the following:
1. Vigorón
It is a simple but great tasting dish that you will find anywhere in the country. The main characteristic of the flavour that you will taste in this dish is the touch that gives the banana leaf where it is wrapped. For the preparation of the Vigorón nicaragüense a portion of well seasoned pork, cooked yuca, pork rinds and cabbage salad with tomato is placed in the leaf. Sometimes, it is accompanied with pieces of cooked pumpkin.
2. Tres Leches Cake
Delicious dessert typical of Nicaragua whose name is due to its 3 dairy ingredients. Made with condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipped cream. This Nicaraguan food is ideal for lovers of dairy products, and is a very sweet and moist cake. This is undoubtedly one of the favourite Nicaraguan milk desserts for the locals, no matter your age or the area where you are, you will always be able to enjoy a Tres Leches in all its splendour.
3. Berenjenas Rellenas
This dish is part of the family tradition, it is the grandmother’s classic recipe. It is one of the favourite dishes during the summer, when this vegetable is abundant in the market. It can be eaten hot or cold and the filling varies depending on the region. It is a delight and can be served as a main dish or as a first course. A variety of vegetables, vegetables and rice, or a combination of ground meat (usually pork and beef) and vegetables are most commonly used to stuff stuffed eggplants.
4. Nacatamal
This dish is made by making a dough with ground corn and lard. This dough is filled with pieces of pork or chicken meat, previously cooked with rice, potatoes, tomato, onion and paprika. Then everything is wrapped in banana leaves that give it a unique flavour and smell. If you have ever tasted Mexican tamales, then you are already familiar with Nacatamales. In this Nicaraguan version, the tamale or Nacatamal is much larger as it can take up an entire plate.
5. Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto is the national dish par excellence and one of the many exotic foods in Nicaragua, so much so that you can find it at breakfast, lunch, dinner and even all three. This is because its ingredients are abundant, delicious and cheap. The preparation of Nicaraguan Gallo Pinto consists of rice with onion and paprika, mixed with red beans cooked with garlic and a hint of spice to taste. The secret of this dish lies in the fact that the elements are cooked separately and then fried together to achieve an explosive composition of flavours.
6. Arroz a la Plancha
Rice is grilled, which refers to the unique cooking method of grilling on a flat, round metal plate. Portions of rice are usually formed during cooking on a griddle or pan using round or square shapes. There are many variations of this dish and the fried rice can have different ingredients. This rice is combined with sautéed shrimp, squid or baby squid.
7. Indio Viejo
Indio Viejo is one of the original dishes from Nicaragua, specifically from Granada. This dish is a soup made of dough or corn flour with meat, and you should keep in mind that it is quite thick and with a very grainy texture. It is also known as marol, picadillo, masa de cazuela and guiso. At the moment of serving Indio Viejo, a fraction of the plate is covered with banana leaves, on top of which is placed cooked yuca, chicharrón or a salad of cabbage and tomato.
8. Rosquillas
Iconic doughnuts made with corn, curd cheese, milk and butter, which have been traditionally made in wood-fired ovens. The cup-shaped wood-fired oven and the recipe for the dough give the rosquillas somoteñas a unique texture and flavour. They are originally from Somoto, where there are more than 35 artisan factories that cater to the growing interest in the treat.
9. Sopa de Cola
The meat used to make the broth and give it good substance is the tail of beef. The tail is in pieces, and most of the fat around it has to be removed. It does not have potatoes, it has yuca and pumpkin in pieces. A finger-licking soup with the bones of the tail of beef. It is usually served with hogao and chopped cilantro, it is also accompanied with slices of avocado and white rice.
10. Vaho
It is one of Nicaragua’s main dishes that little by little has been relegated to weekends or particular family celebrations, this is due to the fact that its preparation takes several days. It is made with beef (beef jerky and brisket), which is dried in the sun, then rested with orange juice, onion and chiltoma (paprika). In a large pot the meat is steamed and on top of it the yuca and green plantain, all the ingredients wrapped in plantain leaves. The final result is a little green package with a juicy filling where the plantain turns into a reddish honey that moistens everything else.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Central American Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.