Maya flavours of Guatemala
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Loading... - Celeste Auclair
- 29 Mar 2023
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Guatemala’s mixed culinary heritage offers a glimpse into a history and style of cooking that was forever changed with the arrival of the conquistadors
Until its Spanish conquest in the 16th and 17th centuries, Guatemala was the land of the Maya, who built magnificent jungle cities and cultivated crops like corn (maize), beans and squashes. Today their towering temples lie in ruins, but around 6.5 million descendants still live in a country whose cuisine is a rich blend of Indigenous and Hispanic heritage.
Dubbed ‘The Land of Eternal Spring’ thanks to its temperate climate, Guatemala has no shortage of fresh produce, which is sold at buzzing weekly markets. The main crop is corn, which was sacred to the Maya (who believed humans were formed from it) and appears at almost every meal: from soft tortillas baked on a flat griddle to squishy tamales (corn dough wrapped in a flat maxan leaf and steamed). Other local ingredients include beans, usually served mashed and fried, and mouth-watering mangos, which you can buy at roadside stalls sprinkled with chilli and lemon.
Guatemala’s varied landscapes have also played a role in the food you find today. In the chilly western highlands, warming recados (thick, spiced stews) are commonplace after a long day of hiking, whereas you will find that seafood and coconut milk feature far higher on menus along the Caribbean coast.
In cosmopolitan towns such as Guatemala City and Antigua, there is no shortage of elegant restaurants offering excellent meals at international prices. The cheapest way to explore Guatemala’s culinary diversity is at street-food stalls and at the local comedores (eateries), which serve delicious and filling set menus that are worth far more than what you pay. Read More…
