New Flavors!: September 2nd

            In general there are a few Nicaraguan dishes that are a bit famous among volunteers because of their exotic nature. One of them is called Mondongo. It is a soup made with many large pieces of vegetables such as yucca, corn still on the cob (called elote and different from our corn because it is not sweet at all), potatoes, squash, and other root vegetables. But the real ingredient in Mondongo as a dish is the meat because mondongo means “cow’s stomach.” I set out to try everything and as the strong flavor (not my favorite smell) filled the house all morning while it cooked, I was certainly nervous. I could not handle the spongy texture of the meat, but my host family has had enough volunteers to know that we only like to try a little piece. The strong flavor I am unable to describe, but it was not my favorite dish.

            In other news, I did get to eat Nacatamales on Saturday, my favorite dish thus far in Nicaragua. They are much like Mexican tamales and are made fresh on the weekends. I am told that each person who makes them (my family buys them from a relative) has a slightly different twist to the recipe. Some people are notorious for their Nacatamales but sell out quickly on Saturday mornings. Yum!

            I have found that after three weeks here gallo pinto (otherwise known as rice and beans) has become my comfort food. If I have tried something new or have had a long day, it’s nice to know that at night we will have a lighter supper of gallo pinto with eggs or tortillas or cheese. Simple, but somehow it’s nice to know that every night is consistent.

            One thing that is only slightly different here is the oatmeal I have some mornings, complete with real sticks of cinnamon! There is also lots of delicious, fresh bread from the local bakeries or the people selling on the street. Last week I went around raving about the pancakes my host mom had been making for me two or three days per week. They were denser and tasted so delicious that I wanted to learn how to make them, only to discover that they come from an Aunt Jemima box just like back home. They are still yummy! Another food that I could rave about for days is the homemade corn tortillas sold fresh every day by the ladies who walk around with a bowl on their heads. And our frequent ice cream dates with fellow volunteers can never be missed because on a hot day there is nothing you crave more than something cold and sweet. One Saturday we had arroz con leche which was so sabroso (delicious)!

            Overall the food is not spicy, but has some good flavors. My family grows some of their own herbs on the patio and showed me huge oregano leaves they received from a friend. I couldn’t believe they could be so big. I think this week I will venture out to see if I can find some hot sauce for my gallo pinto, just to add a little bit of variety to life! My family makes ice cream and sells it in plastic baggies, a tradition of Nicaraguans. They frequently drink juice from a baggy (a skill I have yet to acquire) and I can’t say that I have mastered eating ice cream from one either. I have to say that I have been eating and living better than I expected. They are treating us well in training, but I have a feeling there will be less diversity in food and fewer ice cream stops once we head to our actual sites. Until then, I will keep trying new foods and eating the things that I love!