National Dish of the Week: Guatemala

Fiambre

Guatemalan cuisine reflects the multicultural nature of Guatemala, in that it involves food that differs in taste depending on the region. Guatemala has 22 departments (or divisions), each of which has very different food varieties. For example Antigua Guatemala is well known for its candy which makes use of many local ingredients fruits, seeds and nuts along with honey, condensed milk and other traditional sweeteners. Antigua's candy is very popular when tourists visit the country for the first time, and is a great choice in the search for new and interesting flavors.

Many traditional foods are based on Maya cuisine and prominently feature corn, chiles and beans as key ingredients. Various dishes may have the same name as a dish from a neighboring country, but may in fact be quite different for example the enchilada or quesadilla, which are nothing like their Mexican counterparts.

There are also foods that it is traditional to eat on certain days of the week - for example, by tradition it is known that on Thursday, the typical food is "paches" which is like a tamale made with a base of potato, and on Saturday it is traditional to eat tamales. Certain dishes are also associated with special occasions, such as fiambre for All Saints Day on November 1 and tamales which are common around Christmas.

Corn, beans, rice, cheese and tortillas form the backbone of most Guatemalan meals. Meat stews (caldos) and soups (sopas) are also popular dishes. If you order roast chicken, don't be startled if your Guatemala meal comes with the feet still attached (rare, but not unknown).

Many meals in Guatemalan have similarities to those of Mexico, Guatemala's neighbor to the north. Guatemala food such as nachos, tamales and enchiladas are just as delicious as you'll find in your favorite Mexican restaurant – and much cheaper. Chinese food restaurants and fried chicken stands are also quite common in Guatemala cities.