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 Jalapa, one of the southeastern Guatemalan departments, has a delightful topographic setting - plateaus and beautiful valleys, mountains and volcanoes, forested hills, rivers and lakes. The lands of the region before the conquest by the Spaniards belonged to the Pokoman, Pipil and Shinka ethnic groups belonging to the Mayan group.
Nowadays, the traditions of these indigenous peoples are practically forgotten, gastronomic customs are almost completely mixed with the Castilian ones, and corn, beans, rice, sugar cane, potatoes and cassava, vegetables and fruits are cultivated in beautiful fields, and farm animals are raised.
In the common cuisine of the region, a dish of pre-Columbian origin has been preserved - pulique, the basic ingredient of which is corn mass, which gives a thick texture to the meat broth. Traditionally, it is brewed in large ceramic pots on a low wood-fired oven, mixing green beans, tomatoes and physalis, chili and chayote, chili peppers and potatoes, chopped into large pieces, flour and local spices in a broth. From the products brought by the Spaniards in the colonial era are used beef or pork, as well as onions and carrots. Ready-made pulike has a deep red color and is served in a deep dish or pot along with a serving of white rice.
Pulike is often prepared with chicken or turkey, as are other common dishes in the department, examples of which are Chicken in cream (pollo en crema) and chicken broth (caldo de pollo)... The first is chicken pieces in a thick and spicy creamy broth with onions, celery and paprika, flavored with chili, lorocco and bay leaves. The second course features an original Spanish recipe for a soup adapted to Guatemalan conditions and prepared with noodles, potatoes, carrots, chayote, tomatoes, celery, onions, garlic and unchanged chili.
Tamali are typical of the Xalapa cuisine - culinary products with various fillings on a flour basis, wrapped in corn leaves and steamed. Usually, the filling is prepared with cornmeal, animal fats, meat or cheese, vegetables and hot spices, but the main feature typical for the region is the addition of crotalaria leaves, a wild shrub plant. Tamali with crotalaria and cheese is called chipilin, and tamali with boiled chopped meat and herbs parsley and cilantro - maneitas.
In the municipality of San Luis Jilotepeque, a significant part of the inhabitants belongs to the Pocoman ethnic group, the highlight of the cuisine of which is criadillas, quesadillas and chiquiadores.
Criadillas - the testes of a small pig, cooked whole with gravy from cream, butter and wine seasoned with parsley and ground pepper. They are often soaked in vinegarand then cut into slices and fried in flour with onions and white wine. A similar delicacy complements the rice side dishes.
Quesadillas are sweet, low-rise rice flour tarts with fresh soft and hard cheeses without filling, usually served with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. In the tourist centers of Guatemala, they are sold cut into rectangular portions and wrapped in edible paper.
Chiquiadors are thin elongated cookies, reminiscent of "ladies' fingers" in taste and texture, a favorite accompaniment to many desserts.
Elena
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