Honduran cuisine is a fusion of

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

n (

Lenca The Lenca or Lepawiran "people of the jaguar" are from present day southwest Honduras and eastern El Salvador in Central America. They once spoke many Dialects such as Chilanga, Putun, Kotik etc. Although there were different dialects, they under ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

and

African cuisine African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

s. There are also dishes from the

Garifuna people The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian ...

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include ''sopa de caracol'', fried

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

tamale A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...

carne asada Carne asada is grilled and sliced beef, usually chuck steak (known as Diezmillo in Spanish), though skirt steak or flank steak can also be used. It is usually marinated then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor. Carne asada can be served ...

and

baleada A baleada () is a traditional Central American dish, believed to have originated on the northern coast of Honduras. It is composed of a flour tortilla, filled with a smear of mashed "refried" red beans (a variety of bean native to Central an ...

s. Other popular dishes include meat roasted with chismol and

, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and

jalapeño The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scovi ...

s. In the coastal areas and the

Bay Islands Bay Islands may refer to: * Bay Islands Department, Honduras * Southern Moreton Bay Islands, Queensland, Australia See also * Bay of Islands * Bay of Isles * Island Bay, Wellington * Little Bay Islands Little Bay Islands is a vacant town in ...

, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, including with

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

milk.

Among the soups the Hondurans enjoy are

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

soup, mondongo soup (tripe soup), seafood soups and

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

soups. Generally all of these soups are mixed with

plantains Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

yuca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

, and cabbage, and served with

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

tortilla A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indigenous peoples of Me ...

s. Other typical dishes are ''montucas'' or corn tamales, stuffed tortillas, and tamales wrapped in plantain leaves. Typical Honduran dishes also include an abundant selection of tropical fruits such as

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...

sapote Sapote (from Nahuatl ''tzapotl'') is a term for a soft, edible fruit. The word is incorporated into the common names of several unrelated fruit-bearing plants native to southern Mexico, Central America and northern parts of South America. It is al ...

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

, and bananas, which are prepared in many ways while they are still green. Common beverages for dinner or lunch include

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

s. One ''

agua fresca ''Aguas frescas'' ( en, cool waters, lit=fresh waters, italic=yes) are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in Mexico and some other Latin Ame ...

'' that is very popular in Honduras is ''agua de ensalada''. This freshly made drink consists of chopped fruit such as apples and various seasonal fruit. Another popular drink is ''agua de nance''. A popular bottled soft drink is banana-flavored Tropical.

Breakfast

Hondurans usually have a large, hearty breakfast. It typically consists of fried eggs (whole or scrambled),

refried beans Refried beans (from es, frijoles refritos, ) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular ...

, Honduran salty sour cream (''crema''), ''queso fresco'', avocado, sweet fried plantains, and

tortillas A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indigenous peoples of M ...

. It is common for most households to first prepare tortillas, a staple for nearly every dish, which are used throughout the rest of the day. Other breakfast favorites include

(roasted meat) and Honduran spicy sausages (''chorizo''). A good breakfast will be accompanied with hot, dark—in this case Honduran-grown—

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

. Honduran coffee is renowned for its delicate qualities, being grown on the slopes of the Honduran mountains in rich soils of volcanic origin. A specific brand famous for its flavor comes from the Honduran region of Marcala; others are the

Copán Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. This ancient Maya city mirrors the beauty of the physical landscape in which it flourished—a fert ...

coffee and the coffee grown in

Ocotepeque Ocotepeque is a municipality in the Honduran department of Ocotepeque. The town of Nueva Ocotepeque is the municipal seat and the capital of the department. The department borders two countries, Guatemala and El Salvador and covers 1,630 ...

. Street vendors often sell breakfast

baleadas A baleada () is a traditional Central American dish, believed to have originated on the northern coast of Honduras. It is composed of a flour tortilla, filled with a smear of mashed "refried" red beans (a variety of bean native to Central an ...

made of flour tortillas, refried beans, and ''crema'' or ''queso fresco''. Additional toppings include eggs, meat, and even pickled onions. Vendors sell small

s made of sweet yellow corn dough, called ''tamalitos de elote'', eaten with sour cream; fresh

horchata Horchata (; ), or (), is a name given to various beverages, which are generally plant-based, but sometimes contain animal milk. In Spain, it is made with soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts. In Latin America and other parts of the Americas ...

and

pozole Pozole (; from nah, pozoll, meaning '' cacahuazintle'', a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically pork, but possibly chicken), and can be seasoned and garnished ...

is also common. Another food that can be eaten for breakfast as a dessert is rosquillas. Rosquillas can be considered as a Honduran doughnut and are made from corn (masa, cheese and yeast).

Sopa de caracol

''Sopa de caracol'' (

conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

soup) is one of the most representative dishes of the Honduran cuisine. This soup was made famous throughout Latin America because of a catchy song from Banda Blanca called "Sopa de Caracol." The conch is cooked in coconut milk and the conch's broth, with spices, yuca (

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

), cilantro, and green

bananas A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

known as ''guineo verde''. Other varieties including crab, fish or shrimp are known as ''sopa marinera''.

Sopa de frijoles

This traditional soup is made by boiling black or red beans with garlic in water until soft. Once they are soft, the beans are blended, and added to a pot filled with water and with pork bones to serve as the base of the soup. Once the soup base has taken a chocolate color and has boiled enough, the bones are removed, and water is added to the pot, along with the rest of the ingredients, which may include yuca, green plantains, eggs, and many other ingredients. The soup is served with rice and tortillas, and may be accompanied with sour cream, smoked dry cheese, avocados and lemons.

Carneada

Carneada is considered one of Honduras' national dishes, known as ''plato típico'' when served in Honduran restaurants. While it is a type of dish, a ''carneada'' or ''carne asada'', like its Mexican counterpart, is usually more of a social event with drinks and music centered on a feast of barbecued meat. The cuts of beef are usually marinated in sour orange juice, salt, pepper and spices, and then grilled. The meat is usually accompanied by ''chimol'' salsa (made of chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro with lemon and spices), roasted plátanos (sweet plantains), spicy chorizos, olanchano cheese, tortillas, and refried mashed beans.

Rice and beans

Rice and beans Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many ...

is a popular side dish in the Honduran Caribbean coast. It is often called ''casamiento'' as in El Salvador. The most common beans used in Honduras are red beans (''frijoles cheles''). Typically in Honduras beans are refried and served with green fried bananas (''tajadas'').

Fried Yojoa fish

Fried Yojoa fish is a famous Honduran dish that is served all over the country. The fish often has a more savory flavor compared to other types of fish served in the region. Yojoa fish is salted, spiced, and later deep fried. It is then oftentimes served with pickled red cabbage, pickled onions and deep fried sliced plantains called tajaditas.

Baleada

The baleada is one of the most common street foods in Honduras. The basic style is made of a flour tortilla which is folded and filled with refried beans, and your choice of ''queso fresco'' or sour cream (''crema''). Many people add roasted meat, avocado, plantains or scrambled eggs as well. There are Honduran fast-food chains that serve different kinds of Baleadas.

Corn tortillas

Corn, or ''maíz'', is a staple in Honduran cuisine. Eating corn comes to Hondurans as an inheritance of their Maya-Lenca ancestors; the Maya believed corn to be sacred, and that the father gods created men from it. Some tortilla based dishes include: ''Tacos Fritos'': Tortillas are filled in with ground meat or chicken and rolled into a flute. The rolled tacos are then deep fried and served with raw cabbage, hot tomato sauce, cheese and sour cream as toppings. ''Catrachitas'': A common simple snack, made of deep fried tortilla chips covered with mashed refried beans, cheese and hot sauce. A variant of this snack are de ''Chilindrinas'', deep fried tortilla strips with hot tomato sauce and cheese. It is common in Honduran restaurants to serve an ''Anafre'', a clay pot with melting cheese or sour cream, mashed beans and sometimes chopped chorizo (Honduran sausage) heated on top of a clay container with burning charcoal, and tortilla fried chips to dip in. Similar to Swiss fondue. ''

Enchilada An enchilada (, ) is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations. ...

s'': The whole Tortilla is deep fried and served with a variety of toppings. First ground pork meat is placed, next raw chopped cabbage or lettuce, then hot tomato sauce, and a slice of boiled egg. ''Chilaquiles'': Tortillas are covered in egg and deep fried. Afterwards placed in a wide container to form a layer of tortilla as a base. Cheese, cooked chicken and hot tomato sauce with spices is then added. Again place another layer of tortillas and continue to do so to make something like a Tortilla Lasagna. Place in the oven and let cook until cheese melts and the tortillas are soft. Served with thick sour cream. ''Tortilla con Quesillo'': Two tortillas with quesillo, a melted cheese, in between and then pan fried; served with a tomato sauce. Mashed beans are sometimes also added as a filling with the cheese.

Condiments

Encurtido Encurtido is a pickled appetizer, side dish and condiment in the Mesoamerican region. It consists of various vegetables, such as onion, peppers such as jalapeño, carrot and beets, among others, pickled in vinegar brine and typically prepared so ...

is used as an appetizer, side dish and condiment, and is a common dish in Honduran cuisine.

References

Food_Cultures_of_the_World_Encyclopedia:_[Four_Volumes]_-_Ken_Albala_-_Google_Books

">Latino_Food_Culture_-_Zilkia_Janer_-_Google_Books

_External_links

*_ {{Authority_control Honduran_cuisine.html" ;"title="our Volumes] - Ken Albala - Google Books">Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia: [Four Volumes] - Ken Albala - Google Books

Latino Food Culture - Zilkia Janer - Google Books

External links

* {{Authority control Honduran cuisine"> Central American cuisine Latin American cuisine Mesoamerican cuisine