Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Guatemala Tour

Traditional Foods We cannot leave out the part played by the home and its altar -- the kitchen. Fish, garbanza beans, "torrejas" (pastries similiar to french toast), "encurtidos" (spicy vegetables with vinegar), beverages of "suchile", of pineapple, and "el agua de chilacayote" (water of white watermelon), and candied fruits and confections all play an important role in the Semana Santa celebrations. Following are recipes for the foods prepared especially for these feast days.

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FISH FOR LENT (8 – 10 PORTIONS)

Soak in water overnight: 2 lbs. of quality dried fish

The next day throw out the water and remove and clean the fish. Divide the fish in as many sections as are needed. With new water, cook the fish for 10 minutes. The fish should be cooked all the way through but not falling apart. Drain the water from the fish and dry it.

Whip 4 egg whites to stiff peaks and then add the yolks.

Then dredge the fish in flour, dip the dredged fish smoothly in the egg mixture, and fry the pieces of fish. Place them over napkins to absorb the grease.

Separately, fry in 1 spoonful of oil:
¼ cup of rounds of chopped onion
2 cups of chopped tomato
2 cloves of crushed garlic
5 whole black peppers
½ cup water
½ cup of green chopped green beans
2 cups of diced "guisqui" (chayote squash)
salt to taste

When the above starts to boil, put the fish and 1 lb. of thick round-cut potatoes in a stout pan. Let everything boil together from 8 – 10 minutes.



TORREJAS DE MOLLETES (6 portions):

6 panes dulces(small bread buns), preferably day-old. Cut them length-wise without separating them completely. Remove a little bit of the bread inside and fill with pastry cream.

MIEL
4 cups of water
1 cup of sugar and some pieces of cinnamon (add more or less sugar as you wish)
combine and set to boil

Beat 3 eggs with one tablespoon of sugar until very thick. Dip the bread (or buns) in the egg and fry them. Place them over napkins in order to absorb the oil. Then place them on a cloth and pour boiling water over them (to hasten the absorption of the oil). Then place them in the boiling "miel." The "molletes" must boil in the "miel" for at least 5 minutes.



REFRESCO DE SUCHILES OR CHICHA (20 glasses)

There are various ways of preparing this drink.

Toast:
½ lb. yellow corn
4 oz. barley
10 pieces of allspice
1 piece of cut-up ginger (2 cm)
4 oz. of peeled tamarind
5 balls of cintul (chichipate) washed and cut
8 sticks of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a thin fabric bag, tied loosely. Wash 1 pineapple well and cut length-wise with everything left on it including the skin but without the stem. Place pineapple and spice bag in pot of water (approximately 25 glasses) and simmer until the pineapple is cooked. Let cool and put in a ceramic jar with a narrow mouth. Add 1 block of white sugar in pieces, cap with a clean tied-up towel and cover.

Chicha is made in the same form, with the addition to the spice-bag of one teaspoon of anis seeds and 25 Spanish plums (dried yellow plums).
Let age for 5 days for suchiles and 8 days for chicha. Strain to drink. (The tied-up ingredients in a towel are known as a "rag-doll.")

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Document updated in November, 2005