Breakfast in Guatemala: Where to Eat (First Part)

Of course eating at a home is a great idea, but as far as people at home cook quite fine, restaurants and cafeterias had to be really creative for making to go to have a breakfast there a real temptation.

Almost all cafeterias and restaurants offer breakfast in Guatemala and I don´t know what they all offer, so, I´ll talk about the ones I like. :D They won´t be in any special order but in the order they come to my mind.

Pollo Campero

This is a Guatemalan chain that is the proud of every Guatemalan. It has been successful not just in Guatemala but also in USA where people from Central America and other Latin American countries love to eat there. In 2006 they opened the first restaurant in Madrid (yyyyyyyeeeeeessssssss!!!) but I´m afraid without offering breakfasts! :( Anyway it´s quite normal due in Spain the breakfast customs are so different.

In Guatemala they offer for breakfast eggs: fried or scramble, with tomato sauce and fried plantains, hash browns, cream, fresh cheese, highly-seasoned pork sausage, ham, bacon and/or refried beans as garnish; they also do eggs specialties as Benedictines eggs; croissants, cheese melts, hot cakes and French toasts. For beverage: orange juice and coffee or tea. ¡Just delicious! :)

Wondering, you also can find Campero chicken for breakfast and a lot of people take it… no matter in Guatemala it´s not a custom to take chicken for breakfast!

The way they present the food is also a way to identify this is a Campero breakfast. Even their bread is different in shape but all so familiar in savor, I think this is part of their success clue.



Something else that makes Pollo Campero a special place is their philosophy. They give free education to their employees and also have different social foundations.

Here an ad:



Panadería San Martín

Yeaph, this is a bakery… but they also have a cafeteria with excellent breakfasts! :) What I appreciate more about this place is that they have done an effort for offering different options for breakfast using eggs, with a great result. One good example of this is the Salvadoran breakfast that includes pupusas (delicious!) ;D or the “hidden eggs” one, that is a big bread that has inside the eggs with sauce.



Panadería San Martín is definitely a great option for trying new breakfast experiences! :)

Los Cebollines

This is a Mexican restaurant with Mexican breakfast specialties that are just great! I also love from this chain the decoration of the restaurants. They also offer the buffet option daily.

Here an example of what you can get for breakfast there:



And some pictures to have an idea of the place:



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Tre Fratelli

This is an Italian restaurant that just lately had incorporated the breakfasts at their services… a quite successful idea! :) The result is some kind of the “Italian” version of Guatemalan breakfasts! ;P (because I know for sure what they offer are things you can´t find in Italy for breakfast!) but anyway, great options! I´m afraid I haven´t took pictures of the menu or the breakfasts and it´s a pity… I haven´t found in internet as well, not even at their web… but believe me, worth to try them! They also offer the buffet option on Sundays.

Here a video of Tre Fratelli catering… yeaph, I know, it just contain few seconds of one of their breakfasts :/ but maybe would be also nice to have an idea about the food they can offer:



El Portal del Ángel


This is a grill place that since the beginning had been taking care about the place itself where they put the restaurant (nice view, good surroundings, well located…), the exterior of the restaurant and the great decoration of the inside.

I´m afraid I haven´t take pictures of the place neither of the menu and wasn´t possible to find it at internet, but I really recommend to visit it and by now, to check out the pictures they have click here.

Nais


This place is already a classic. They started with quite good lunch and dinner options and where one of the firsts to give breakfast options as well. Just give a look at the menu and you will find this is a worth to go there:









On November 2008 they opened the first Aquarium Restaurant of Latin America. I had visited it in February 2009 and yes, it´s beautiful… but you have to pay to enter to the restaurant and if you want a better view they have a VIP option where you have to pay even more for having the privilege of eating there. Ok, the Aquarium is really nice and something quite original… and yes, I understand the maintenance of such a place should be expensive… I just felt expensive the prices they have for that. But it´s a worth view and a nice place.

Here an interview of the history of the group and how they got the idea of placing the Aquarium: (in Spanish)



Here the second part:



Here some views of the result:









(To be continued)

Breakfast in Guatemala: Beverages (Second Part)

Atol: this beverage is a dense and so nutritive one. It should be taken very hot. In Guatemala you can find:

- Corn Atol: it´s made with yellow corn, boiled and then blended, the result boiled again with milk, adding a stick cinnamon and sugar. It´s served with some corn grains.



Here a video about a market food place where they also sell corn atol:



- White Atol: it´s made with white corn dough (very alike the one used to make tortillas). It´s served with “pepitoria” (that is powder of pumpkin toasted seeds), some grains of black boiled beans and chili.



- Atol Shuco: it could be done with white or black corn dough, same procedure as the one before, but turning it sour.

- Maizena Atol: also known as “yuquilla” atol, it´s made with maizena instead of corn dough. It supposed to be good when someone has stomach problems. It can be also made adding savors like strawberry or vanilla.



- Starch Atol: it´s made with starch that, just reading the concept, could be confused with maizena, but maizena is a white powder and starch is a yellow granulate version. The savor is also quite different. Is the same of what is used to make polenta. I like this atole quite a lot! :D



- Plantain Atol: you boil the plantains, blend them and put in a pot again with a cinnamon stick and sugar. Delicious! :)



- Mosh: it´s made with oats, milk and a cinnamon stick.



- Rice with Milk: yeaph! I know! In other countries it´s a dessert because it´s more solid than liquid but in Guatemala it´s quite liquid. You just have to cook the rice with a cinnamon stick and once it´s done, to add milk and sugar as desire. Some people use as well condensed or evaporated milk.



- Rice with Milk and Chocolate: same as before but adding chocolate! :P

- wheat germ Atol: made with wheat germ powder, milk and a cinnamon stick.



- Broad Bean Atol: done with broad bean flour, water and a cinnamon stick.



- Pinol Atol: pinol is a mix of yellow corn, barley, rice and cinnamon, all burnt and ground till being a powder. You mix it with water and sugar.

- Incaparina: this is a product that had been done by a Guatemalan institution for helping kids to have all the required nutrients. It had been created with the sense of helping people without enough resources for having a good alimentation but actually the whole country takes it. There are a lot of schools that give Incaparina daily to the kids as breakfast, but also it´s usually given for babies, daily as well. So, right now Incaparina is a normal use product and even some people just add it to the preparation of other dishes… for example, there are people that make Incaparina hot cakes.



- Atolillo: it´s a mix of rice and maizena with milk and a cinnamon stick.

- Sweet Atol: made with yellow corn dough, rapadura (rapadura = partially processed brown sugar), anise, ginger and pepper.

- Ashes Atol: the ashes are used just for soaking the corn (for a whole night) before cooking it. The rest is like the corn atol.

- Granillo´s Atol: it´s a normal corn atol but adding a quarter part of the corn not well grinded.

- Cereals Atol: made with the mix of corn, barley, wheat, chickpea, broad bean, cinnamon stick, all that grinded till get a powder, then adding sugar and water or milk.

Breakfast in Guatemala: Beverages (First Part)

Beverages

Juices: there are quite a lot of fruits in Guatemala as I mentioned at the 3rd. part of this tale, but the real custom is to drink orange juice at breakfast… and actually it supposed to be better to drink it with an empty stomach, but usually people drink it while eating whatever they have for breakfast. Also some people have the custom to drink grapefruit with an empty stomach at breakfast, it supposed to help to lose weight. At restaurants is common to find also juices of other fruits like papaya, carrot, pineapple or watermelon.

There´s a custom that I really can´t explain how it started, why or where it comes from. The custom is drinking the orange juice with a raw egg inside. This is not so common and I haven´t ever try it, but I can remember my father, when I was a child, drinking it. He said you shouldn´t break the yolk while swallowing it (the reason is for not tasting it´s savor). I also can remember street stalls just selling this and just at the mornings for giving the people going to work in a hurry the chance to have a quick breakfast. Ah! Yes! This means to be the only thing to have for breakfast. I haven´t seen this in any other place and I had been searching in internet but I haven´t found anything, so, maybe this exists just in Guatemala.



Shakes: well, it´s logical! If you think about the quantity of fruits you can find in Guatemala, definitely there are a lot of ways to take them and shakes are one of the most appreciated options! :) It´s just about taking a fruit (or a mix of several), put it at the blender, add water, milk or ice cream, add sugar if you want or syrup… and voila! :D In Guatemala you can find shakes almost in all restaurants and cafeterias, but there are also places specialized in shakes. (I miss it so much!)



Milk: for taking cereals, to mix with coffee or just to drink it alone. There are a lot of things you can add to the milk, starting with a lot of kinds of cocoa, strawberry and vanilla. Brands like Nesquik, give a big range of possibilities. One of the favorites in Guatemala is Milo, that I should confess to eat a table spoon of granulated Milo was one of my vicious time ago… nice times! ;)

You also can find goat milk… but not at supermarkets, no, there are still shepherds walking with the goats at the streets offering fresh milk. It means: you drink it natural, without pasteurizing it. Not exactly so common for breakfast but I thought it would be interesting to mention it here ;)




Coffee: Guatemala is a coffee producer country, so, what you find there is first class coffee quality. We have American costumes to drink it, so, it´s softer than the one you drink in Europe, but in specialized places you can find that taste as well. The coffee we drink is soft, then we can drink it, and we do, several times during the day. It´s normal to drink 2 or 3 cups while eating your breakfast. One strong difference I found comparing Guatemala and Spain costumes while drinking coffee, is that we drink it at the same time we are eating. In the breakfast case, I mean, you drink your orange juice (if you have it) and once finished it, you start to drink coffee while eating your eggs, hot cakes or whatever you have for breakfast. If it´s at lunch, you drink the coffee while eating your dessert (in case you have it, of course). At home is common to drink just coffee or coffee with milk, but at restaurants and cafeterias, you have all the international options you would desire. My very favorite one: cappuccino with amaretto. :D The second one: mocha!



Tortilla´s coffee: actually this beverage isn´t common at the city neither at restaurants. It´s an indigenous drink made with the powder of burnt tortillas.

Tea: you can find in Guatemala quite a lot of options of good tea, but also we have custom to make natural herbal teas and here every home has it´s own good recipes! :) One of my favorites: normal black tea, a bit of stick cinnamon, a bit of clove and a bit of peel of orange. Mmmmmm!!!

Chocolate: the normal one for use at home is quite artisanal made, here a video of how it is:



You put part of the tablets in boiling water and then you have it! :) The consistence, comparing with Spanish one, is quite liquid. Of course you can take it with milk or/and marshmallows if you want. You also can find European style chocolate for drink, for make it at home or at cafeterias.



Another video of artisanal chocolate:



Punch: this is a hot beverage typical for cold days. The most common are the fruits and the eggs (egg nogh, that btw is for drinking cold) ones.



How to make egg nogh:



(To be continued)

Breakfast in Guatemala (4th. Part)

Continuing with the food:

Note: if you click on the food links mostly you´ll find the recipes, but sometimes more explanations.

Croissants: not really so common, but yes, it´s also possible to find croissants for breakfast, just that in this case they won’t ever be just the bread itself, but at list with ham.

Pupusas: original from El Salvador and most common for afternoon snacks than for breakfast, but also possible to find them then. A pupusa is a thick tortilla that had added crackling, cheese, loroco or beans, mixed with the dough before being cooked. It´s served, as garnish, with “curtido” that is a kind of cabbage salad and tomato sauce.



What come as follows maybe should be placed after talking about eggs, but I was trying to talk first about main dishes and then about the rest…

As garnish for the eggs:

Beans: there are a lot of beans varieties in Guatemala, first obvious difference is the color: black, red and white are the most common, but that´s not the only one division… anyway, the ones you find at breakfasts are the black ones. We can eat them in different ways:

- Boiled beans: just cooked with water, salt and onion. Some people add garlic. That simple! At breakfast you can eat them with a bit of cream, with grated cheese… or with both! :)

- Mashed beans: first same procedure as before, then to mash them… something that now it´s really simple to do with all the machines we have, but I remember my grandmother mashing them with a manual strainer… hard work! Ok, coming back to the description ;) after mashing them, you put them in a skillet with butter or oil for a while. Good idea to ad fried onion and the green part of a spring onion (also fried). You also can take this with cream, grated cheese or both! :D You can give them the consisted you want, from almost liquid (but not liquid at all, that would be a beans soup and we don´t eat soups for breakfast), till puree (but not so solid, that would be then refried beans).



-Refried beans: same procedure as before but you fry them (once mashed), till you get a very solid puree.

Here a video to have an idea of how solid should be the refried beans:





Plantains: there are a lot ways to cook plantains, but for breakfast it could be boiled or fried (the most common).



Hash browns: not really normal when you eat at home, but in some restaurants you find them, McDonald´s was the first one offering hash browns for breakfast.



Cold meat and sausages: here the point is that you can find names that could sound familiar for you if you are not Guatemalan, but the taste would be quite different… and I´m afraid that´s not exactly something easy to help with when you are just writing… so, maybe better to give a look at the pics… and try them when you can! :D



Cheese: it´s usual to find fresh cheese at Guatemalan´s tables, for eating the beans or just in a hot tortilla. Grated cheese is also very common, as I mentioned, for eating with the beans as well. Also you can find other cheeses like Gouda, Emental or Cheddar, but actually they are mostly for cooking eggs. Lately you also can find cheeses for spreading the bread, like Camembert, Philadelphia, Brie, Cream Cheese, Cheese Wiz (ooohhhh!!! How much I miss it!!!)… yes, I do think Guatemalans are Cheese fans! ;D One very good cheese factory I recommend: Quesos Parma.



Tortillas: this is one of the bases of Guatemalan´s diet. They are made with corn dough, to use instead of bread. The way to make them is a Mayan tradition, better to watch it:

This is the Mexican version...

And this one the Guatemalan one! :D

Bread: Guatemalan bread offers a good variation that was enriched with other cultures bread… this is due there are living a lot of people from so many different countries and some of them installed their own food business. Talking about bread, the most welcome were German and French ones.





Chili: just in case someone likes to add it to the food. Guatemala has a lot of good and strong varieties, but the most known are “chiltepe” and “chile de Cobán”.



Cream: yeap! Guatemalans love cream! Btw this is also quite different from the one in Spain, not just the savor but also it´s thicker, less liquid.



(Oh yes! There´s more to talk about Guatemalan Breakfasts!:) To be continued

Breakfast in Guatemala (3rd. Part)

Let´s continue with the food we can find in a Guatemalan breakfast:

Note: if you click on the food links mostly you´ll find the recipes, but sometimes more explanations.

Breakfast Cereals: all the variety of Kellog´s, Nestlé and a lot of breakfast cereals branches are common in Guatemala. Just to eat them with milk could be enough for breakfast sometimes, in other occasions that´s just the beginning. Also could be taken with yogurt. You could mix fruits to it as with milk.



There was a restaurant in Guatemala that I´m afraid it doesn´t exist anymore, the name was Quincys. They had a special breakfast that was yogurt ice with muesly and honey…. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! Was so delicious! The yogurt ice was natural one, without savors or fruits and they put it in a sundae dish, forming some kind of yogurt ice volcano that was at least with the double altitude of the dish. Then they added a rain of muesly (enough but not so much) and covering that all, the honey… yummy!!!

Hot Cakes: definitely part of my favorites, usually when you have hot cakes for breakfast you don´t eat anything else, but some people also eat eggs when they eat them. We also even have one company that has the rights from General Mills Inc., Gold Medal, to make the hot cake mix, I should say this one is my very favorite of what I had try till now. I always take several with me when I travel to Guatemala! And also is part of the list of things I ask for when someone comes from there :) I had even succeeded with my Gold Medal mix hot cakes! This is because it´s what I usually offer as breakfast when I invite people at home. Just I should say I have a secret… I put less liquid than the indicated at the recipe, in order to have a good consistence to make them thicker, then you should be more careful about the heat to use while cooking them, in order to not to scorch them but not to have the middle not done at the same time. I should say that I tried the Gold Medal hot cake mix done in other countries and I didn´t like as much as the Guatemalan one… and shouldn´t be exactly a matter of proud of my country as far as also my non Guatemalans friends that had taste them think the same… actually, that flour is now one of the products from Guatemala included at my gifts list when I travel there! :)

For dressing the hot cakes, we have a lot of options: honey, maple syrup, strawberry syrup, any kind of jams, fruits, condensed milk, peanut butter, peanut butter with grape jelly, chocolate syrup, nutella, arequipe, cajeta (by the way, maybe a good moment to clarify something: arequipe and cajeta are definitely not the same, Arequipe is made with cow milk, cajeta with coat one; also it´s very common to find cajeta with wine flavor). In resume: you can dress the hot cakes with almost whatever sweet topping you have at home! At restaurants they also usually ad almonds or nuts and whipped cream.



In Guatemala there´s a restaurant specialized in Hot Cakes: Danny´s Pancakes (5a Ave. 14-79 zone 9, Phone: +502 3620754). That was my very favorite place when I was a kid! :D They make them with animals shapes and a lot of options of fruits and different kind of honeys… but from ever, the combination I like most than others is just normal pancakes (I mean, not adding to the dough savors), with Maple syrup and in case some banana slices.

Waffles: another great option! When you eat them at restaurants, you just find the classic ones, but at home one of my sisters loves them as well and we tried several recipes… The one with cheese is one of my favorites! (Ok, ok, I think I´ll do some waffles for dinner tonight!) :D



Crepes: actually, this is most for dinners, but sometimes also at breakfasts. Sweet or salty, the crepes are also another item that we could even start a new blog just about them! :) There´s a restaurant in Guatemala specialized on crepes, it´s name, why not, is “La Crêpe” (Centro Comercial Portal Belmont, 14 calle 7–49, zona 9, Phone: +502 24 21 49 00), with more than 50 different crepes options plus salads and ice creams. It´s not about me trying to vindicate the pleasure of simple things, but again, are the classic crepes, the ones just with icing sugar and cinnamon my very favorite ones. Also the Crepe Suzette, that btw in Saúl E. Méndez are great!



French toasts: really simple to make and also delicious! (Ok, let´s don´t talk about calories….) :/ In Guatemala we do them with sandwich bread. There´s a Guatemalan Restaurant chain, Pollo Campero, that offers French Toasts as one of their options for breakfast, very good ones! :D



Fruit: yes, we also have the healthy and low calories breakfast version! ;) One of the privileges of living in a tropical country is the variety of delicious fruits you have. A brief list of our fruits: pitahaya, mango (a lot of varieties of), banana (also a lot of varieties of), strawberry, apple, pineapple (that is quite bigger and sweet than the ones I found in Spain), coco, melon, watermelon (also bigger and several varieties), jocote, apricot, peach, star apple, papaya, mandarin, orange, raspberry, lemon, cherry, grape, pomegranate, passion fruit, paterna, custard apple, prune, greengage, peanuts, nuts, sapote, black sapote, loquat, soursop, guava, pear, grape fruit, caqui, kiwi, as example… :D (It´s not about we can do a blog just about fruits..,. but there are already!).





Here a video with Guatemalan´s fruits:


(Maybe I would select a happier melody) ;)

Had you think this is more than enough for talking about breakfasts? Hehe… yeap, maybe it would be… but! No! Guatemalan´s breakfasts still have more issues to talk about! So…

To be continued