Food from Central America: Nicaragua

Some Info about the Food of Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan cuisine is a mixture of the different races that inhabited in that region, Indians as well as the Spanish conquerors.  They all left their cultural heritage an d of course, part of that heritage is the different dishes and the ingredients more used in those dishes.

Like other Central American countries, corn, beans, yucca, pork, bananas or plantains, and seafood are most commonly used.

And many dishes are favorites as well in other Central American Countries.
Dishes here are maybe a little long to prepare but not at all difficult.

Recipe of Baho from Nicaragua

This recipe should be started to be prepared the day before it will be served.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of any tender meat cut, cut in long strips
2 green peppers, cut in long thin slices
2 pounds yucca, peeled and cut in to large long pieces
2 tomatoes, cut thinly also
2 onions, cut very thinly in long pieces
6 garlic cloves, very well chopped
2 teaspoons salt
4 bananas cut in long strips, half and then half again-
1 cup lime juice
1 cabbage cut in stripes
banana leaves

Procedure:

Put in a large bowl the beef, tomatoes, garlic, onions, pepper salt and lime juice.
Cover the bowl and let it in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

Next morning, in a large pot, cover the inside of the pot with a rack at the inside bottom, then the whole inside covered with the banana leaves.  Under the rack, put water, some I liter of water, and so the leaves will keep food away from the water.
The pot should be fully lined with the leaves.

On the base of the pot, over the banana leaves, put in this order:

1-the bananas, 2-the meat, 3-the yucca, 4-the rest of what was in the bowl and the vegetables. Close the leaves tightly, cover the food inside, no hole should be left and cover the pot.

Put the covered pot to the fire and bring the water to boil over high flame, then reduce the heat to the minimum and let it cook for 4 hours.  Add more water if necessary, be sure it won’t get dried out with no water.

You can serve it as the tradition calls, over a banana leaf, or with big dishes.  Each portion should carry: a part of each thing, a piece of meat and vegetables.
Enjoy it!!