INDIA QUICHE SODA

The India Quiché soda is a staple of Quiché. This company started back in 1926 and has since then been producing different flavor sodas one of them the particular "Crema Soda", cream soda.During the armed conflict when no commercials trucks came to the area of Quiché, this company was able to meet the demand. Now India Quiche is sold in the highlands region but also can be found in Guatemalan communities all over the United States. In the picture, Nicole in Sacualpa having a Crema Soda India Quiché.

TORTILLA DE HARINA

MEAT FLOUR TORTILLA (there is also chicken and other meats)  is a typical food in Puerto Barrios. A big flour tortilla first smothered with mayonnaise to then embrace meat, cabbage relish and beans. You can get the even bigger flour tortilla and get also half a baked potato and a couple of grilled green onions on it.

This one in the picture was the small one. We ate it at Antojitos Nineth la 13 in Puerto Barrios, Izabal.

It made our faces smile!!! 

Two days later we found the second store of Antojitos Nineth in Morales Izabal and repeated the procedure, except this time they also offered a chimichurri sauce.

Rattle Snake

Rattle Snake its whats for dinner here in Teculutan Zacapa. We stopped for grape juice and cold grapes and were surprised with rattle snake shishkebab!
According the patron it cures everything from cancer to warts.
This one is Q250.00.

Expressions: Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda.

God helps the early riser. This is the expression equivalent to the "early bird catches the worm".
This is the bird that came to wish us well as we head to Chisec-Raxurha-Fray-Chaal.
Picture in Carchá Cobán in a hotel that was a coffee plantation.

Papa is gonna buy you a Billy Goat

Walking with Nicole in pasos y pedales (The Avenida de las Americas on Sunday mornings becomes a pedestrian street) I took this picture of a boy who gives goat rides.
It immediatly reminded me of the lullaby I loved singing to her.

There are three pasos y pedales (steps and bike pedal), that I know of, in the city on Sundays (in zone 14, 11 and 2) and they are deffinetly and oasis in the city a beatiful opportunity to hang out with the kids.

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark,
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town!

Peanut drink

Fresco de Mania a surprisingly refreshing drink served in eastern Guatemala.
Peanut is one the characteristic crops of this arrid area. To make this drink peanut is grounded, then sugar, water and vanilla extract are added.
We had this drink at the fork that takes you to Asuncion Mita or Agua Blanca coming from Jutiapa.

Koyow

Coming out of a school in Cobán, that is how most stories seem to start lately, there was a man eating what looked like an avocado. Same exclamation followed by same question: Buenas, como esta! Ala que es es eso? (Hello, How are you! What is it?)

Answer: Koyow. My interpretation a poor man's avocado. Similar look (more primitive), similar consistency (less smooth), taste mmm (bla). He gave it to me, said have it and advice me to eat it with lime and chile de Cobán (kind of cayenne pepper).

Talpas - Fruit

Walking out of the public school we were training in Asuncion Mita, Jutiapa, there she was the Talpa vendor!
I had never seen this fruit that was presented to us as a Salvadorean fruit, sometimes refered as mamones.

No surprise, I started inquiring about it. It is sold peeled in a bag of about 6 talpas, seasoned with gorund pumkin seed, salt, powder chicken broth (I know) and lime. Q2.00 a bag (25 US cents)

Talking with our vendor she told us she opens the fruit with a knife because the public health office trains the vendors every year on sanitary measures and for her one is no to open them using her fingernails.

It has the consistency of an offspring of a grape that married a jocote!! Big seed in the middle and juicy but more meaty.