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Interesting enough, I have not encountered many restaurants that offer waffles; or perhaps I wasn’t looking. However, for some reason, waffles jumped at me at the menu from Café La Casaca the first time I visited and I just had to have a waffle. Of course, if you drive to Guatemala City you can have waffles and pancakes at the IHOP restaurants, but I wouldn’t drive to GuateCity just for that. Interesting enough, there’s a Casa Internacional del Waffle or just La Casa del Waffle in San Lucas, but I have not got the chance to try them there.

Do you know of other restaurants in Antigua Guatemala or nearby that serve waffles?

Interesting enough I had visited Hector’s and Tretto Caffé within the last week and I had uploaded yesterday’s and today’s photos to my online repository, so when I came across the top restaurants list according to TripAdvisor I knew I had to show you a sample of each place. I am sure I also have a photo of The Refuge Coffee bar, but these two photos I had just taken.

Tretto Caffé is own and run by a very young barista with a passion for the ultimate cup of coffee. If you want your coffee right away and Tretto Caffé is not for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for the best cup of coffee in Antigua Guatemala to learn more about the gourmet coffees grown in Guatemala, then Tretto is your best choice. You can find Tretto Caffé on the second floor of El Jaulón building in the northeast corner. If you have already visited this amazing coffee shop, please, share with us your impressions.

Today was a day full of news. First of all, I learned from my friend and ADP collaborator Guy Howard that Hector’s Restaurant made to the number one position at TripAdvisor for their restaurant listings of Antigua Guatemala. Of course, that’s no news to you guys since you have already since many of the dishes that Hector prepares. The first time I had sweet potato fries was at Hector’s and although I have had them a several places now, some in the U.S., I still believe Hector’s version to be the best.

Next, was the released of the behind the scenes at the making of the video clip of “Fuiste Tú” of Ricardo Arjona and Gaby Moreno in Guatemala a couple of weeks ago. You can watch the video below.

Last but not least was the 15th year anniversary of signage of the Peace Accords. As in every year since the signing, people argue that basically not peace was signed, but the accords have not been met. Or well, that’s how it is in Guatemala and it’s better not think too much of it. We just have to continue pushing for the accords to be upheld.

Enjoy!

The mole from Guatemala is very similar to mole poblano, which is a chocolate and chili based sauce (over simplification of the ingredients). One huge difference is that mole poblano is a main dish with turkey or chicken; meanwhile Guatemalan mole is a dessert with fried plantains slices ladled with chocolate sauce or mole for short. Bon appetite!

We have to thank Erin, loyal and long-time reader from AntiguaDailyPhoto, for the buñuelos recipe you see below.

Erin shared with us the buñuelos recipe last year:
Making buñuelos at home can be a little bit tricky because the altitude will affect the dough. Having said that, don’t be afraid to try, it will be worthy!

Bring to boil 1 cup of water and remove from heat. Optional: you might like to infuse the water with a cinnamon stick and a teaspoon of anise seeds; just be careful to remove them before adding the flour.

At once, add 1 cup of all purpose flour and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon (don’t use your hands, the mixture will be really hot).

When the water/flour mix is lightly warm, add 4 eggs, ONE AT A TIME, and continue mixing until everything is well incorporated and the dough looks velvety.

Cover the mixture with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for at least a couple of hours (I prefer overnight).

In a deep pan or a fryer, at medium temperature, heat a large amount of vegetable oil; using 2 spoons, drop small portions of the dough (donuts holes is a good reference for the size), and let them fry until golden. One of the nicest features of the buñuelos is that they float and turn around in the oil by themselves!

Once the buñuelos are golden and crispy, remove them from the oil and let them rest over paper towels.

To serve the buñuelos the traditional way, make a syrup combining and bringing to a boil, equal amounts of water and sugar, a cinnamon stick and anise seeds. I prefer the syrup less sweet, so I use two parts of water and one part of sugar and right at the end, when I turn-off the heat, I like to add a cup of sherry or marsala.

In a small bowl, put 3 buñuelos (they look pretty in trios) and pour over about 1/2 cup of the warm syrup.

Enjoy!

Oh December, or the dry season for the matter, is full of Guatemalan comforting foods; mostly sweets like buñuelos, torrejas, mole, camote, chilacayote and higos. Perhaps, the fact that the dry season brings forth the low temperatures, around 6C/43F, courtesy of the cold winds blowing from the great white north (home to Manolo, the provocateur {his words}) that having something hot and sweet to warm up seems only logical.

If you’re not in Guatemala now, but would like to have some Guatemalan comfort foods, please pay a visit to AntiguaFC.com where Amanda can prepare a sweet combo and ship it to your home or office.

Come back tomorrow for the recipe for making buñuelos at home, courtesy of long-time reader and friend Erin.

This breakfast is served daily at Sabe Rico, one of my favorite spots to have breakfast.

What do you think are the things that make this omelet breakfast into a Guatemalan style omelet breakfast?

I have said it often and I even declared it as irrefutable fact: the best place to have ice cream in Antigua Guatemala has to be the Plaza Mayor (main plaza), better known as Parque Central. So, it comes as no surprise that there are seven ice cream shops within one block from parque central; maybe more. Still, if you don’t believe me ask these three happy-ice-cream-eating nuns.

One more thing, remember that the ice cream in Guatemala is unbelievably delicious because it is the real McCoy.

If you don’t know the Guatemalan artists Ricardo Arjona and Gaby Moreno this is your chance to catch them both doing a duet arrangement. They are the most famous and popular Guatemalan artists abroad. (more…)

Ayode en dulce or ayote en miel is among the most popular desserts for Día de Todos los Santos (Feast of All Souls) and Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead). Wondering what ayote is? well, ayotes are pumpkins. I bet you didn’t know that Guatemala is the cradle for pumpkins. The Guatemalan pumpkin is about the size of medium-size melon and it is green inside.

Here’s a simple recipe to prepare ayote en dulce.

Ingredients:

• 1 ayote mediado
• 1/2 pound of panela (read more about panela below)
• 1/2 half of cinnamon stick
• 1/2 of a ginger root
• 1 allspice ball

Preparation:
Wash well and break the ayote in small pieces. Put all the ayote pieces, cinnamon, ginger root, panela pieces and allspice in a pot and add enough water without covering ayote. Boil until the ayote is soft and the syrup has been absorbed by the ayote.

Panela is an unrefined food product, typical of Central and South America, which is basically a solid piece of sucrose and fructose obtained from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.

Bon appetite!

Here are other Guatemalan desserts that are prepared for the season:

• Guatemalan Dessert: Jocotes en miel
• Guatemalan Dessert: Camote en miel
• Guatemalan Dessert: Coyoles en Miel
• Guatemalan Dessert: Coco en Miel
• Guatemalan Dessert: Chilacayote

Guatemalan Fiambre is a rare and unique dish which includes close to 50 ingredients. Fiambre is primarily a salad, served chilled, made up from a large selection of cold cuts, all kinds of meats, fish, shrimp, fresh and pickled vegetables. Guatemalan fiambre is served on the 1st and 2nd of November for Día de Todos los Santos (Feast of All Souls) and Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead) respectively. In summary, fiambre is a very special meal for Guatemalans and it is mostly available on November 1 and 2.

Come back tomorrow to see what Cabecera dessert looks like in Guatemala for the days of Todos los Santos and Conmemoración de los Fieles Difuntos.

The especially made sausages for fiambre can now be found in the supermarket and mercados.

Do you know what is fiambre? If not, read on. Fiambre is an extremely rare and unique dish which includes over 40 ingredients; basically it’s a salad made from cold cuts, all kinds of meats, fish, vegetables and pickled vegetables. It’s served on Novem- ber 1st and 2nd for Day of the Dead and All Saints Day. Fiambre is a cold meal of Spanish origin, possibly from the Ex- tremadura provinces in Spain. Fiambre is a very special meal for Guatemalans, and it is only available on November 1 and 2. Follow the white rabbit to see photos of fiambre!

It’s been a while since I posted something in the Vegetarian category. I can honestly say that nowadays it is easier to be a vegetarian and dine out in La Antigua Guatemala. There are many restaurants that cater for the meat-free crowd. Sometimes it is only a few dishes like a miso soup or vegetarian roll at Ubi’s; other times it’s a whole section in the menu like in Sabe Rico where the photo of this delicious and fulfilling salad was taken.

The “green” salad pictured above has an assortment of deluxe organically grown lettuces, cherry tomatoes, watermelon dices, sliced olives, sesame and roasted pumpkin seeds. I recommend you give it a try even if you’re not vegetarian, you won’t miss the meat with such a rich and flavorful salad. I promise!

You may or may not know this: Guatemala is divided politically in Departamentos which are the equivalent of States or Provinces in other parts of the world. La Antigua Guatemala is the capital for the Departamento de Sacatepéquez. I share this fact with you so you can have an idea of the relevance of La Antigua Guatemala.

Nevertheless, I still consider La Antigua Guatemala no more than an enchanting little town with a 10×10-block grid. So small, in fact, that if it wasn’t for the fact that La Antigua Guatemala also happens to be the tourism capital for Central America it wouldn’t as cosmopolitan as it actually is. Take a culinary tour through some of the cosmopolitan gastronomic options available in La Antigua Guatemala.

Sushi, for instance, happens to be very popular. I know of three or four sushi bars in La Antigua Guatemala. The sushi bars that I know by name are Akai Sushi, Nokiate and Ubi’s Sushi; this last one being my favorite one and where I took the photo above. Also, I consider the sushi bars in Antigua Guatemala to be much more authentic than the sushi restaurants found in Guatemala City.

What other cosmopolitan gastronomic option available in Antigua Guatemala do you think I should visit and profile?

So, what would you like for postre (dessert) today?

Here are two choices based on fruits very popular in Guatemala: Bananas and Peaches. Bananas, of course, can be found in Guatemala all year long; that’s just one of the benefits of having been a Banana Republic. By the way, the bananas are tempura banana slices.

Peaches, on the other hand, are seasonal and now it’s the season. Both desserts have vanilla ice cream and yerba buena (Guatemalan mint) with a touch of strawberry mermelada.

Did you know that Guatemala is the birthplace for chocolate? If not, read on.

Cocoa bean (also cacao bean,[1] often simply cocoa and cacao; Mayan: kakaw; Nahuatl: cacaua) is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. They are the basis of chocolate, as well as many Mesoamerican foods such as mole sauce and tejate.

A cocoa pod (fruit) has a rough leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). It is filled with sweet, mucilaginous pulp (called ‘baba de cacao’ in South America) enclosing 30 to 50 large seeds that are fairly soft and white to pale lavender in color. While seeds are usually white, they become violet or reddish brown during the drying process.

The cocoa bean was a common currency throughout Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest.

The cacao plant was first given its botanical name by Swedish natural scientist Carl Linnaeus in his original classification of the plant kingdom, who called it Theobroma (“food of the gods”) cacao. (Source: Wikipedia)

In La Antigua Guatemala we now have some very good chocolaterías (chocolate shops); don’t leave town without paying a visit to Fernando’s Kaffee and Chocolatería Sabe Rico.