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Guatemalan Dishes and Regions

Specialised

The three great RECADOS — thick sauces of toasted seeds, chiles and spices ground together — are the backbone: PEPIÁN (pumpkin and sesame seed, dark), JOCÓN (green), and the red recados. KAQ’IK, the Q’eqchi’ turkey soup of Alta Verapaz. HILACHAS, shredded beef in tomato. SUBANIK. TAMALES — and Guatemala distinguishes several: the large soft TAMAL COLORADO in banana leaf; CHUCHITOS, small and firm in husk; PACHES, made with POTATO not maize, eaten on Thursdays in Quetzaltenango; TAMALITOS; and the black sweet tamal. FIAMBRE — the enormous cold platter of dozens of ingredients eaten only on 1 November for the Day of the Dead, and on no other day. Plus rellenitos, garnachas, chiles rellenos, and the Caribbean TAPADO at Lívingston in Izabal, which is Garifuna.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

Languages: Spanish, Q'eqchi', Garifuna

What is recorded

  • Guatemalan tamales are recorded as several distinct forms — tamal colorado in banana leaf, chuchitos in husk, paches made with potato rather than maize — rather than one dish. Fiambre is documented as prepared and eaten only on 1 November for the Day of the Dead. documented
  • The Guatemalan government is overthrown following land reform affecting uncultivated United Fruit Company holdings. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

Recorded as relating to this foodway

  • part of Fiambre documented

    Eaten on 1 November and on no other day; a seasonal tradition rather than a recipe.

  • part of Guatemalan Tamal Family documented

    ⚠ Several distinct dishes separately named by Guatemalans. Paches are POTATO and are not filed under a maize tamal.

  • part of Pepián, Jocón and the Recados documented

    Pepián, jocón and the red recados: dry-toasted seed and chile ground to thicken a broth, with no flour and no dairy.

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.