Eating the food in Nicaragua is truly a feast for the senses. Nicaragua traditional food relies heavily on the ingredient of corn, but you’ll find that Chinese, French, Latin American, and Spanish styles of cooking are popular here, too. This is especially true in the metropolis of Managua, where the food is a reflection of the ethnicities of its nearly 5 million residents.
There are so many national specialties of Nicaraguan
cuisine that it’s hard to know where to start.
Try a delicious bowl of Mondongo, a delicious Nicaragua
traditional food. Mondongo is a heavy soup with tripe.
Ask for a side of Rosquillas, a hearty and fragrant cheese-and-cornmeal
biscuit. Even if you’re a somewhat picky eater,
you’ll love this type of Nicaraguan comfort food.
It seems that every culture has a delicious food that is sold inexpensively on the street. In Nicaragua, the street food of choice is corn on the cob that is roasted to perfection. Plantains are another staple of Nicaraguan cuisine. These starchy fruits have the appearance of a large banana, a starchy texture, and taste similar to a potato. Plantains are traditionally used in sweet and fried dishes, but the most common way to eat them is deep fried as an accompaniment to pork.
Speaking of pork, if you travel to Nicaragua, you must try Nacatamales. This dish consists of mashed potatoes, corn, and shredded pork meat wrapped up inside a banana leaf, with a bit of fresh tomato. This Nicaraguan food is typical of traditional cuisine.
There is no shortage of places to eat in Nicaragua. Cuisine in Managua includes food from all over the world. It’s not uncommon to find an American burger joint and an authentic Thai restaurant on the same block. In smaller cities, such as Granada, restaurants serving up traditional Nicaraguan food are most common.
Sure, you can go to a fancy restaurant to get great food in Nicaragua. But in cities like Leon, delicious and cheap food can be found everywhere. Wake up early and head to the local market in the central part of Leon for a delicious breakfast that will fill you up and keep you going for the whole day. You’ll see locals and tourists lining up to buy plantains filled with cheese and eggs. Wash your breakfast down with a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice. One good tip is to go to the food stands with the longest lines. This may seem counter-intuitive for folks on the go, but a longer line usually indicates that the food is worth waiting for.
