Central American Food

Street Tacos in Xela, Guatemala

A diligent taco vendor near Democracia market in Xela (Quetzaltenango), Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Best of Central American Food, a Mosaic

From pupusas to chuchitos to taquitos to ceviche. Some of our best meals from our four-month journey throughout Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Tapado - Livingston, Guatemala

Tapado is a traditional dish of the Garifuna (Black Caribs) people who live in Livingston, Guatemala. Made from coconut milk, fresh seafood and shellfish, plantain and a variety of herbs like basil or cilantro, this dish is incredibly rich and absolutely delicious. Kind of like the bouillabaisse of the tropics. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Taquitos Guatemaltecos - Antigua, Guatemala

Chicken and potato stuffed taquitos are just one of the many street food offerings near El Calvario Church in Antigua, Guatemala during Holy Week (Semana Santa). Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

El Salvador Food, Vegetarian Tacos - Alegria, El Salvador

We convinced a small cafe in Alegria, El Salvador to make us vegetarian tacos with refried beans, fresh vegetables, herbs and cheese. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Salsa - Guatemala City, Guatemala

Taken at a road-side restaurant outside of Guatemala City, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Pepian and Rice - Xela, Guatemala

The results of a cooking class with our Spanish teachers in Xela (Quetzaltenango), Guatemala: a beautiful and delicious tray of pepian and rice. Read more and watch a video about our Guatemalan cooking class. © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Mixture of Tostada Toppings - Xela, Guatemala

Seasoned ground meat, beets, cheese, salad and onions sit atop a crispy tostada. Taken in Xela (Quetzaltenango), Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Dan Eating Breakfast - Totonicapan, Guatemala

A plate of rice and beans and a super picante hot sauce at one of the food stands in Totonicapan, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

A Bite of Ceviche - Antigua, Guatemala

Shrimp, tomatoes, onions, fresh herbs, lime and various other salsas and bits make ceviche on the streets of Antigua, Guatemala a taste to be reckoned with...This bite is served with a saltine cracker. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Cheese-Stuffed Pupusa - Antigua, Guatemala

Originally from El Salvador, pupusas (stuffed tortilla dough) are popular on the streets of Guatemala. We ate this pupusa - stuffed with cheese and covered with cabbage and a tomato sauce - in the main market of Antigua, Guatemala. With a few drops of hot sauce...delicious. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

The Best Pupusas - Juayua, El Salvador

Filled with refried red beans, cheese and a dash of chicharon (salty pork rinds), these pupusas (stuffed corn tortillas) from a simple street stand east of central park in Juayua (El Salvador) were some of the best we had eaten anywhere. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Grilled Shrimp for Dinner - Livingston, Guatemala

Taken in Livingston, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Kiva Borrower Business, Making Tortillas - San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala

It always seems to be tortilla-making time in Guatemala! Taken in San Martin Jilotepeque outside Guatemala City, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Chorizo Balls - Juayua, El Salvador

The central park (parque central) in Juayua (El Salvador) becomes full of food stands each weekend for a food festival. These chorizo balls were a popular choice. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Honduran Food, Papusa and Baleadas - La Esperanza, Honduras

A tasty pupusa (bean-stuffed corn tortilla covered with pickled cabbage) and bean and egg baleadas (stuffed wheat tortilla) served as a hearty breakfast in La Esperanza, Honduras. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Black Bean Guacamole Tortillas - Antigua, Guatemala

Refried black beans, fresh tomatoes and guacamole on top of fresh tortillas served as a delicious and light lunch on the rooftop terrace of our friend's home in Antigua, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Chuchitos - Antigua, Guatemala

Parque Union - our favorite place in Antigua (Guatemala) for street food. Here, a vendor serves up a guacamole and hot sauce smothered chuchito (meat and vegetables stuffed in a ground corn encasing, akin to a Mexican tamale). Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Street Food Tacos - Xela, Guatemala

We couldn't resist the smell of the street tacos near the Democracia market in Xela (Quetzaltenango), Guatemala. Even though our host mother and Spanish teachers warned us against them (potential stomach problems...due to fresh vegetables they are topped with), they were delicious. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Honduran Food, Anafres - Copan Ruinas, Honduras

It had a fancier name on the menu (anafre or anafres) than nachos and refried bean dip, but that's basically what it was. Served at Llama del Bosque in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Grilled Chuchitos - San Francisco El Alto, Guatemala

Grabbing a snack on the street at the Friday market in San Francisco El Alto, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Guatemalan Food, Fresh Chiles Rellenos - Antigua, Guatemala

Chiles rellenos is a typical Guatemalan snack of sweet peppers stuffed with a mixture of meat and/or vegetables and fried in batter. Sometimes it's served on its own and other times it's eaten between tortillas...like a tortilla sandwich. Taken in Antigua, Guatemala. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Chon the Ceviche Master - Antigua, Guatemala

We passed by this ceviche stand in front of El Calvario church almost every day on the way home to our friend's home in Antigua...Finally, on the last day, we gave it a try - amazing. Cold cooked shrimp tossed with a tomato salsa, diced onions, fresh lime, vinegar and some other great herbs and spices. Delicious...and no problems with our stomachs afterwards. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Grilled Prawns - Juayua, El Salvador

A plate of giant grilled prawns and a three-color sauce is a delicious lunch at the weekend food festival in Juayua, El Salvador. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com

Flavorful Soup - Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador

A big bowl of chicken soup chock full of freshly cut tomatoes, cilantro, onions and hot peppers made for a tasty lunch at El Jardin de Celeste outside of Apaneca. Part of the Ruta de las Flores (Route of the Flowers) in El Salvador. Read: Golden Plantain Awards: The Best of Central American Food © www.uncorneredmarket.com