Guatemalan Cuisine: Chuchitos y atol de platano
Continuing with our milpa crops, here we have the most widely eaten Guatemalan tamal(e), which goes by the name of chuchito (puppy or little dog). Back on my first Guatemalan cuisine series, I brought to you another type of tamal named pache. Then, I said that tamales are probably the oldest food from the American continent with over 5,000 years of existence. Also, I mentioned that in Guatemala alone, there must be 100 different kinds, but if you ate a different kind of tamal every day from all the areas in Mesoamerica, it would take you over 20 years to try them all.
The chuchitos presented here come wrapped in dried maize husk, with tomato-based antigüeño sauce, a tiny piece of pork or chicken and chipilín, a green plant with a very special flavor and aroma. The drink is thicken hot beverage made from boiled plantains, sugar and cinnamon.
The Guatemalan labor code allows for two short breaks of about 15 minutes; one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The breaks are known as refacción, and the act of eating something in this short break is known as refaccionar. Bon appetite my friends!
Daily Content
November 9th, 2006
yum yum , let me have some!
November 9th, 2006
Oh my God ! I will have to stop coming here at least during these food days. The chuchitos con atol on sundays with doña Lety were so delicious !
November 9th, 2006
De la esquina de La Merced?
November 9th, 2006
No lunch break?
November 12th, 2006
Midnitebara: If you come on down, I will treat you a few orders of chuchitos.
Chapín Ausente: I am not sure these chuchitos are actually from doña Lety…
Duendemaya: No they are not from La Merced, but they are made by the same lady that sell them there. This is la refa from the morning and she sell chuchitos, atol, dobladas de chicharón, tostadas y panes near my office.
Sally: Yes, there is a lunch break as well.
February 27th, 2008
[...] such a tragic history. Fried plantains, rellenitos (fried plantain dough filled with black beans), atol de platano (plantain-based hot and thick drink) and even the wrappings of traditional Guatemalan tamal came [...]
April 6th, 2008
[...] can also be made from, dried green beans (habas) rice and milk, and liquified plantains as in atol de platano or arroz con [...]
May 15th, 2008
[...] or two Guatemalan sweet atoles. In the chilly morning with rain curtains, one goes out to get the refacción, or “refa” for short (mid morning Guatemalan snack) and the sweet atoles are now [...]
September 17th, 2008
[...] dobladas (turn overs). Tacos are normally found at the refacción time along with atoles, tostadas, chuchitos and [...]