Nicaraguan cuisine includes a mixture of

Mesoamerican Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

Chibcha The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia, Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonizati ...

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

, and

African cuisine African cuisine is an integral part of the continent's diverse cultures reflecting its long and complex history. The evolution of African cuisine is closely entwined with the lives of the native people, influenced by their religious practices, ...

. Despite the blending and incorporation of

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

, Spanish and African influences, traditional cuisine differs from the western half of

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

to the eastern half. Western Nicaraguan cuisine revolves around the Mesoamerican diet of the Chorotega and Nicarao people such as

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

avocados The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was prized for its ...

turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...

beans A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are tradition ...

, chili, and

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

, in addition to

potatoes The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

which were cultivated by the Chibcha people originating from South America and introduced meats like

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

and

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

. Eastern Nicaraguan cuisine consists mostly of

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

and

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), 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 national dish of Nicaragua is

Gallo pinto or is a traditional rice and bean dish from Central America. Consisting of rice and beans as a base, gallo pinto is important to both Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both of which consider it a national dish. The beans in gallo pinto are cooked ...

Cuisine

Main staples

As in many other

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

countries,

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

is a staple. It is used in many widely consumed dishes such as

nacatamal A ''nacatamal'' (Nahuat: Nakatamal, ''Nakat'' "meat", ''tamal'' "tamale") (Nahuatl: Nacatamal, ''Nacatl'' "meat", ''tamalli'' "tamale") is a traditional Nicaraguan dish similar to the ''Tamale, tamal'' and to the ''hallaca''. Nacatamales have Me ...

and

indio viejo Indio viejo ("old Indian") is a traditional dish from Nicaragua dating back to the pre-Columbian era. It is a stew or thick soup made out of maize mixed with tomatoes, achiote, onions, garlic, shredded meat, and herbs. Indio viejo originated from ...

. Corn is not only used in food; it is also an ingredient for drinks such as

pinolillo Pinolillo is a sweet cornmeal and cacao-based traditional drink in Nicaragua. It is made of ground toasted corn and a small amount of cacao. It can be mixed with water or soy milk, and served sweetened or unsweetened. If unsweetened, it is rathe ...

and

chicha ''Chicha'' is a Fermentation, fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented beverage of Latin America, emerging from the Andes and Amazonia regions. In both the pre- and post-Spanish conquest of Peru, Spanish conquest periods, corn beer (''chicha de jo ...

as well as in sweets and desserts. Other staples are rice and beans. Rice is eaten when corn is not, and beans are consumed as a cheap protein by the majority of Nicaraguans. It is common for rice and beans to be eaten as a breakfast dish. There are many meals including these two staples; one popular dish,

gallo pinto or is a traditional rice and bean dish from Central America. Consisting of rice and beans as a base, gallo pinto is important to both Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both of which consider it a national dish. The beans in gallo pinto are cooked ...

, is often served as lunch, sometimes with

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

. Nicaraguans do not limit their diet solely to corn, rice, and beans. Many Nicaraguans have small gardens of their own full of vegetables and sometimes incorporate flowers into their meals. Commonly used ingredients are peanuts, cabbage (shredded in vinegar, this is called "ensalada" and used as a side dish, sometimes with carrots and beets added), carrots, beets, butternut squash, plantains, bananas, fresh ginger, onion, potato, peppers,

jocote ''Spondias purpurea'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the Americas, from Mexico to northern Colombia and the southwest Caribbean Islands. It has also been introduced to a ...

, grosella, mimbro,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast 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, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

pipian A pumpkin seed, also known as a ''pepita'' (from the Mexican , 'little seed of squash'), is the edible seed of a pumpkin or certain other cultivars of squash. The seeds are typically flat and oval with two axes of symmetry, have a white outer h ...

apples An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...

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, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennia ...

, and quequisque. Herbs such as

cilantro Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the leaves as ha ...

oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

, and

achiote ''Bixa orellana'', also known as achiote, is a shrub or small tree native to Central America. ''Bixa orellana'' is grown in many countries worldwide. The plant is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also calle ...

are also used in cooking.

Typical Nicaraguan dishes

Beverages

Refrescos (drinks)

Nicaraguan cuisine makes use of fruits, some of which are only grown in that particular region due to their location. Many fruits are made into drinks known as

frescos Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting becom ...

, the Nicaraguan name for what are called "aguas frescas" in other Latin American countries. Common flavors include

melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

guayaba Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native ...

, guanábana,

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, 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 culti ...

, and

pitahaya Pitaya () or pitahaya () (common names strawberry pear or dragon fruit) is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. Pitaya is culti ...

Pinolillo Pinolillo is a sweet cornmeal and cacao-based traditional drink in Nicaragua. It is made of ground toasted corn and a small amount of cacao. It can be mixed with water or soy milk, and served sweetened or unsweetened. If unsweetened, it is rathe ...

is very popular among Nicaraguans, as many times they refer to themselves as ''

pinolero Pinolero is a colloquial term for a Nicaraguan. The term is used extensively in Nicaraguan Spanish. The plural of Pinolero is Pinoleros. Other colloquial references include Nica(s), Nicoya(s). Each of these terms are gender-neutral. Etymology The ...

s'', which means "pinolillo drinkers". Another popular beverage is the traditional drink of Cacao mixed with maize or corn. Many drinks are also made from grains and seeds, mixed with milk, water, sugar and ice.

Alcoholic beverages

Rums, such as

Flor de Caña ''Flor de caña'' ("Sugarcane Flower") is a 1948 Mexican film directed by Carlos Orellana. It was written by Luis Alcoriza Luis Alcoriza de la Vega (September 5, 1918 – December 3, 1992) was a Mexican screenwriter, film director, and ...

and Ron Plata (both produced by Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua, S.A (CLNSA)), are both a popularly consumed beverage in Nicaragua and a crucial export product. Popular rum-based cocktails include the "Nica libre," a regional re-naming of the

Cuba libre Rum and Coke, or the Cuba libre ( , ; literally "Free Cuba"), is a highball cocktail consisting of cola, rum, and in many recipes lime juice on ice. Traditionally, the cola ingredient is Coca-Cola ("Coke") and the alcohol is a light rum suc ...

(itself a variation of rum and coke), and the " Macuá" (containing orange, guava, and lime juices). The "Macúa" originated in 2006, when it won a Flor de Caña-sponsored competition to determine a marketable national cocktail representing Nicaragua, and was created by a pediatrician from

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

. Beer is also a common alcoholic beverage consumed in Nicaragua. Popular brands include Toña and Victoria, two former competitors both now produced by Compañía Cervecera de Nicaragua, as of a 1996 merger.

Other drinks

* Achiote con limon * Achiote con toronja * Agua de arroz * Arroz con Pino * Arroz con piña *

Atol Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) is a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) scheme to give financial protection to people who have purchased package holidays and flights from a member tour operator. Corporate function The majori ...

* Avena (drink) * Avena con leche * Avena con limon * Cacao * Caimito * Cebada * Cebada con limon * Cebada con Milca * Coyolito * Chia *

Chicha ''Chicha'' is a Fermentation, fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented beverage of Latin America, emerging from the Andes and Amazonia regions. In both the pre- and post-Spanish conquest of Peru, Spanish conquest periods, corn beer (''chicha de jo ...

* Chicha bruja * Chicha de caña * Chicha de coyol * Chicha de jocote *

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

* Ensalada de fruta * Espinaca (made with spinach berries) * Fresco de guayabilla * Guabul * Granadilla *

Horchata Horchata (; ), or (), is a name given to various beverages, which are generally plant based, but sometimes contain milk. In Spain, it is made with soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts. In some parts of the Americas it is known as an agua f ...

* Kola Shaler *

Limonada cimarrona Limonada cimarrona is a type of limeade, used as a chaser in Nicaragua, specifically used with white dry rums, or local '' guaro''. Instead of using plain water, soda water is used with lime juice and salt added to taste. See also * List of l ...

* Linaza * Linaza con tamarindo * Mamey (nothing to do with sapodilla) *

Mamón ''Mamón'' are traditional Philippine cuisine, Filipino chiffon cake, chiffon or sponge cakes, typically baked in distinctive cupcake-like molds. In the Visayas regions, ''mamón'' are also known as ''torta mamón'' or ''torta''. Variants of ...

* Nancite (yellow cherries drink) *

Naranja con remolachas Naranja is a Spanish word meaning the color 'orange', or sometimes 'orange fruit', and can refer to: * Naranja, Florida, a census-designated place * Naranja, an orange-flavored Mexican liqueur * Naranja, one of the two academies in ''Pokémon Sca ...

* Naranja con zanahorias * Papalon (beach grape drink) * Papaturro * Tiste

Postres (desserts)

* Almendras en miel (en jarabe) * Almibar o curbaza * Almibar de toncuá *

Arroz con leche Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much less commonly, ' ...

* Atol pujagua * Atolillo * Ayote en miel * Bienmesabe * Botellitas de miel * Brujas * Buñuelos de yuca o platano * Cajeta de ajonjoli * Cajeta de coco * Cajeta de coyol * Cajeta de leche * Cajeta de piña * Cajeta de zapoyol *

Cocadas Cocada are a traditional coconut confectionery found in many parts of Latin America and Europe. They are particularly popular in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuado ...

* Cosa de horno * Coyol en miel (en jarabe) * Crispeta * Cuznaca * Chiricaya *

Dulce de leche ''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...

* Dulce de limon (cidra) * Dulce de nancite * Dulce de naranja * Dulce de piña *

Dulce de papaya Dulce may refer to: Places * Dulce, New Mexico, United States, a census-designated place ** Dulce Base, in conspiracy theories a secret American military facility near the census-designated place * Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica * Dulce River (disambig ...

* Dulce de toronja * Dulce de remolacha con zanahoria * Enchiclados * Espumillas *

Gofio Gofio is a sort of Canarian flour made from roasted grains (typically wheat or certain varieties of maize) or other starchy plants (e.g. beans and, historically, fern root), some varieties containing a little added salt. Gofio has been an i ...

* Flan * Gofio con anis * Grosellas en miel (en jarabe) * Hicacos en miel (en jarabe) * Jalea de guayaba * Jalea de mango * Jalea de patriotas (bananas) * Jocotes cocidos * Leche burra * Maduro asado * Maduro en gloria * Maduro horneado * Mamones en miel (en jarabe) *

Mazapan Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imitations of ...

* Melcocha * Motas de atol * Nancites cocidos * Nancites en conserva * Perrerreque * Piñonate *

Pio Quinto Pio Quinto is a Nicaraguan dessert consisting of cake drenched in rum, topped with a custard, and dusted with cinnamon. Some recipes also include rum soaked prunes or raisins. Pio Quinto is eaten after meals or during Christmas time. The cake i ...

Polvorón A polvorón (From , the Spanish word for powder, or dust) is a type of heavy, soft, and very crumbly Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk, and nuts (especially almonds). They are mostly produced in Andalusia, where there are about 70 f ...

* Raspados * Requeson * Sopa borracha * Suspiros * Toronja en miel (en jarabe) * Torta de leche *

Tres leches cake A tres leches cake (; , or ), ''dulce de tres leches'', also known as ''pan tres leches'' () or simply ''tres leches'', is a sponge cake originating in North, Central, and South America soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed ...

* Turron

References

External links

Traditional Nicaraguan food

Nicaraguan Food recipes
{{Authority control Central American cuisine Latin American cuisine Mesoamerican cuisine