In this part of our Hispanic National Plates series, we are highlighting food from North and Central America. Buen provecho!
North America
Mexico: The national dish is Mole. Mole translates to "sauce" in Nahuatl, a language primarily spoken by the Aztecs. There are different kinds of mole, but the key ingredients are dried chili peppers, grains, spices, and fruits that are turned into a flavorful sauce used in a variety of Mexican dishes. The most popular mole is mole poblano, which has chocolate in the sauce.
Central America
Costa Rica: Gallo Pinto is the national dish, which in English translates to "spotted rooster". The dish is fried rice with beans, peppers, spices, and in Costa Rica they like to add Lizano sauce. A fun fact about Gallo Pinto – it is also Nicaragua’s national dish.
El Salvador: Pupusas are the national dish and a staple of El Salvador, originating from the Pipil tribe. A pupusa is a thick corn tortilla that has a variety of fillings that can be put inside. The most popular pupusas are pupusas revueltas, made of various parts of the pig and beans with cheese.
Guatemala: Pepián de Pollo is the national dish. Pepián has a similar consistency to Mexican mole, but this dish originates from the Mayans and uses different ingredients. Pepián dates back to the 16 century before the Spaniards colonized Guatemala. Most commonly, the ingredients are chicken with a sauce made of chili peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and other spices.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Hispanic National Plates series to learn more about South American and Caribbean dishes.
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