Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series on Latin American holiday traditions. We talked to over 30 people to put this series together, traveled through their countries through their memories, anecdotes and family recipes, and compiled some of the most popular dishes and traditions, so there's some overlap. It turns out that there are traditions to do and some traditions are passed down. themselves.
Each country, with its distinct atmosphere, creates a mosaic of Latin American experiences and the heritage of its people.
In this issue, warm up with drinks of Mayan origin, sing along to Venezuelan gaita, and enjoy Francocho sponge cake from the Dominican Republic.
Guatemala
Guatemalan holiday celebrations feature foods beloved by many Latin American cultures. “The main foods we make are tamales made from corn dough and a special sauce called recado, which contains chile guaque, chile chocolate and many other ingredients. We also add meats such as pork and chicken.” said Kimberly Loarca, vice consul of the Guatemalan consulate in Los Angeles.
For most Guatemalans, ponche is an important ancestral element, and there is no Christmas or New Year without ponche. It is a fruit-based drink containing pineapple, papaya, coconut, banana, raisins, and plums. In Guatemala There are many ethnic groups, the majority being Mayan,” Loarca said. “Ponche was also a tradition of the Mayans. They called it caldo dulce, not ponche, and made it to thank the gods for that year's harvest.”
Honduras
For most Hondurans, chancho horneado, or roast pork, is “often the main dish along with tamales, rice and potato salad,” said Martin Pineda, communications manager for the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles. . Served with these dishes is treja, a very popular dessert. Trejas are small flour cakes cooked in brown sugar syrup with cinnamon and spices.
Many Hondurans make a wish on New Year's Eve while eating 12 grapes. “Usually, about 10 minutes before midnight, we all gather in the living room. The song 'Faltan Cinco Pa Las Doce' by Néstor Zavalce is always playing. The host begins passing around a cup of grapes and announces that it's time to make your wish come true. It's just before midnight, and then at midnight, each person hugs each other for just five minutes. ”
Venezuela
Haraka is the centerpiece of the Venezuelan holiday for many. Bruno Romano, a Venezuelan musician living in Los Angeles, said, “Without halakha, there is no Christmas.” “Halaka is like a tamal. It is made from corn dough and is colored with annatto oil, giving it a unique flavor. The filling is called 'guiso' and is made with beef, chicken, pork, vegetables and spices. A flavorful stew made with The jaraka is served with slices of pan de jamon. Bread with ham, raisins, and olives. ”
Dulce de lechoza is a sweet holiday treat. It's “green papaya boiled in a syrup made with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.'' I love it,'' Romano said.
Venezuelans have a special place for gaita. “It's a very festive type of music. It's super traditional. Their lyrics talk about our culture, people and food. My favorite song is 'Amparito' by Maracaibo 15. It’s perfect for dancing,” Romano explained.
Cuba
Lechon asado con mojo criollo is a traditional dish on the Cuban holiday table. “It's the whole [pig] I marinated it the day before in Mojo Criollo, which has garlic, lemon, cumin, and onion. It is served with yucca and congris,” said Mari Huerta, 2024 president of Club Cultural Cubano, founded in 1968 by Luis and Berta López Blanco. Congris is a side dish that is a blend of rice, Spanish chorizo, bacon, cumin, and black beans.
Turrón is a must-have dessert on Christmas Eve. My favorites are Turrón de Yema, Turrón Brando, and Turrón Alicante. Some people serve casquitos de guava with cheese or papaya with cheese,” Huerta said. Turron, or nougat, is made with almonds, honey or sugar syrup, and egg whites and comes in a rectangular shape.
According to Huerta, on New Year's Eve, Cubans have a tradition of “throwing buckets of water through the front doors of their homes.” [symbolically] Keep your house clean and have a good day. ”
(Roxy Lynn/For De Ross)
dominican republic
Cerdo asado is a popular holiday dish for Dominicans. “Before grilling, we marinate it with garlic and spices and serve it with morro de gandures con coco, a mixture of rice, pigeon peas and coconut,” said Carla Nolasco, a Puerto Rican advertising agency owner.
Most families enjoy a cocktail called coquito, a drink made from coconut, rum, condensed milk, and spices. “Mamajuana, a traditional liqueur made from macerated herbs, roots and rum, is popular,” Nolasco explained.
When it comes to satisfying those with a sweet tooth, Biscocho Dominicano is at the top of the list. “It's a spongy cake made with candied fruit and nuts,” Nolasco said. It is also popular to make “masa molla (corn pudding with coconut)'' and francocho (a half-flan sponge cake).
Nicaragua
Lomo Pinchado is one of the traditional dishes served at the Nicaraguan holiday table. Michael Baez, an accountant's assistant in Managua, Nicaragua, describes beef or pork loin as a “traditional stuffing of milk-soaked bread, pork chunks, carrots, onions, prunes, capers, and tomato sauce.” That's what it means.
Pio Quinto is a traditional Nicaraguan holiday dessert. “It's the national dish. It's a corn-based cake soaked in syrup with cinnamon, spices and rum, covered with a layer of atr de mais, or atrillo as it's known here,” Baez said. Ta.
Nicaraguans enjoy estreno on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It is a tradition for the whole family to wear new clothes. “Wearing new clothes is mandatory here on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31,” Baez said.
Roxie Lin is a bilingual journalist and illustrator from Venezuela. Her work focuses on the contemporary rhythmic pulse of Latinidad, art and culture. @roxsy_lin