Mango, Pepitoria and Lemon Juice Popsicle

Guatemalan are living a new sense of freedom, not the kind that was expected by the signage of the Peace Accords of 1996. Rather, it is a gastronomic freedom. Some of the Guatemalan expats noticed that something had changed since their departure when they saw Pepitoria, chile, salt and lime-lemon juice granizadas (shaved ice).

Some Guatemalans even commented about it, like Manolo: “This post-modern new millennium Guatemala presented in LAGDP sometimes throws me for a loop… what the heck are ‘salty granizadas’?” or Edgar: “Don’t know if my train is going too fast, but I’ve never seen those salty ‘granizadas’. I’m sure that kind of ‘granizada’ surfaced in the 90′s.”

Even though Guatemalans are known for being extremely conservative it’s only obvious that they are now abandoning the safe harbors and adventuring into extravagant paths. Can you believe it? There is now fresh mango chunks with salt, pepitoria and lime-lemon cupsicles*? Well, mango popsicles seemed rather traditionalist after I was made aware of mora (blackberry) with salt, pepitoria and lime-lemon, as well as mora and pineapple with salt, pepita and lemon juice cupsicles. Let it be known you heard it first in AntiguaDailyPhoto. 😉

I wonder what’s next for Guatemala now that Guatemalans have abandoned their conventional ways? Revolution?

*Cupsicle is a word coined by Manolo in Facebook while referring to the Guatemalan version of popsicle. 😉

leif hagen says:

June 21, 2010 at 8:45 am

Looks like a yummy, refreshing treat to me! Delicious photo!

rworange says:

June 21, 2010 at 3:47 pm

Where did you buy that? I’m going to be in Antigua on Friday.

As long as the traditional foods don’t disappear, I hope Guatemalens will join the food revolution.

It distresses me that the chef of El Pescador Italiano, Luciano Vanelli, who I read earned a Michelin star at another restaurant, is making food like Hawaiian pizzas. Nothing wrong with that, but it seems a waste of talent.

There is such an abundance of wonderful and exotic (to me) produce, I wish a few chefs would get creative with them.

For example, I had a pacaya candy at Cafe Zurich in Gautemala City, thinking it would have a filling of pacaya which would be interesting and different. Nope. Just a chocolate in the shape of the volcano pacaya.

So I say to the wonderful people of Guatemala that I hope you embrace the little changes like this because it could encourage some delicious and new things to eat.

Cristina says:

June 21, 2010 at 8:55 pm

You know what would be very interesting? Chocolate with fillings like zapote, nance, chicozapote, caimito, mamey, all the good things Rudy already took pictures of.

I think these salty granizadas originated in Mexico (I think I saw them in Tapachula in the 90’s) and crawled their way into Guatemala. They didn’t become famous until like 3 or 4 years ago. But they’re absolutely wonderful! Especially because we already put lime juice, salt, pepitoria and sometimes chile de Coban on lots of fruit and vegetables. So freezing fruit juice and repeating this type of seasoning was something that was to be expected.

Manolo says:

June 22, 2010 at 7:19 am

Last month I introduced my fiancee and a couple of friends to choco-bananos. It was a total hit and a great cap to a chapin-style Summer dinner including ceviche and guacamol (notice the lack of “e” at the end of this last word).
Mango is popular up here in the True White North, but we get a couple of varieties… do you know what mango was used for this “cupsicle”? Next stop on LAG’s globalization: zapote gelatto.

Michael Bosio says:
July 10, 2010 at 10:42 am
I don’t know how long chocobananos have been around, but they were a popular treat 30 years ago, and could be found in most tiendas lucky enough to have a freezer.

Eric says:

June 22, 2010 at 7:33 am

@Christina – I’m with you on the chocolates idea – I wonder if…what’s that place called? ‘Chocotenango’? or ‘Sabe Rico’ has anything like your ideas. Fernando has delicious chile-covered chocolates at his cafe, but filled with zapote or mamey would put them way over the top!
@Manolo – knowing the creative ways los chapines have to adapt something or make it their own, I’ll bet zapote gelatto already exists somewhere in the vortex…and if it doesn’t, it sounds like a good idea to me.

Mango, Pepitoria and Lemon Juice Popsicle

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