Food and Drinks
A culinary excursion
Honduras is from the culinary point of view a mixture of Latin America and the Caribbean. Of course there are a few very tasty country specific dishes and drinks, which are really worth tasting.
The Honduran cuisine is based on ingredients like beans, rice, tortillas, baked bananas, meat, potatoes, cream and cheese just like its neighbouring countries.
Fish and seafood are an essential part of each menu, especially on the coasts and the Bay Islands. Everything from fish to caracol (sea snails) is freshly caught on the same day. It might even happen to you that the owner of the restaurant goes out on a fishing trip right after you ordered your food to catch everything he needs for your dish freshly.
Dishes that are based on fish and coconut like sopa de caracol, machuca or pescado originate from the Garifuna cuisine and are best prepared by the Garifuna themselves in small restaurants (comedores).
You will also be served fresh fruits and vegetables from pineapples to coconuts. You must definitely taste the fresh made fruit juices, which you can get in most of the big shopping centres.
In the following you will find a listing of tidbits you may come across in Honduras.
Tidbits
Juices
You get freshly squeezed juices from oranges, tangerine and melons. Most of the other tropical fruits are made into juices or „licuados“ together with water and sugar. The fruits range from well-known ones like pineapple, mango, papaya and honeydew melon to more exotic ones like tamarind or star fruit.
Rompopo
A Honduran eggnog which is made with cinnamon. Traditionally the rompopo was made for Christmas in the family circle and was only served on this special occasion. Today you can buy Rompopo in most of the supermarkets and for this reason it is not only drunk for Christmas, but also for other special occasion as for example the visit of your family, that you haven't seen for a while.
Guifiti
In the Garifuna communities you can find traditional digestion schnapps similar to those in the Alps. The Garifuna not only use it for digestion but also for all other little ailments. For the men it is also used as a aphrodisiac. Main ingredient of the Guifiti is Caribbean rum and herbs from the African ancestors of the Garifuna.
Bier
Beer is the national drink of Honduras and is of very good quality. The most popular brands are called Port Royal, Imperial and Salva Vida and are all from Honduras.
Platanochips
Compared to all European countries or North America you will be served platánochips instead of potato chips to each traditional Honduran dish. Platanochips are made from plantains cut in slices which are then deep-fried. Similar to frijoles, platanochips are an essential part of a traditional Honduran dish. In the small restaurants in most of the Garifuna villages, platanochips will be freshly prepared for each dish that they serve.
Frijoles
This kidney bean mush also belongs to each traditional Honduran dish similar to platánochips. This mush is prepared with palm butter, which results in a really tasty and nuttily flavour. Frijoles are either served as whole beans or as mush to each dish.
Plato típico oder Plato del día
If you would like to have all the typical Honduran dishes on one plate, you should order simply a “Plato típico“ or a “Plato del día“. Most likely you will then find frijoles, sour cream, meat, poultry or egg, fried plantain and rice or pasta on your plate.
Tamales
Corn bag with peas and olives
Nacatamales
Corn bag with pork or chicken
Go to the recipe of Nacatamales
Machuca
Small balls made from plantain, which are ideally to eat with fish soup.
Trés leches
This really juicy and very sweet cake is well known all over South America. It is made of a layer of battercake that is soaked with sweet condensed milk, milk and a bit of rum. Finally, a layer of cream, cinnamon and fruits is added to the cake. The calorie content of this creation is of course quite high but Tres Leches is really tasty especially if the cake is served well chilled.
Go to the recipe of Trés leches
Pan de coco
This is coconut bread, which is mainly sold in the villages of the Garifuna.