buen provecha

inspired by my current location in león, which thus far has proven itself to be the street food capital of nicaragua, i am going to list the street food i've enjoyed so far on this trip:

1. vigorón - Granada, córdobas$20 (US$1)
Available on the street throughout Granada, but especially in the parque central at all hours, this is an interesting juxtaposition: a large banana leaf set in a bowl, with a big scoop of steamed yucca, topped with a few pieces of chicharrones (fried pork skin - like pork rinds, but thicker), and then topped with Nicaragua's staple, ensalada de repollo (shredded cabbage with a little carrot, tossed with vinegar and salt). All three flavors work really well together: the vinegar with the greasy crunchy fried pork with the mashed potato-like yucca.

2. fried plantains, dressed - León, C$5 (US$.25)
I love plantains. In the late afternoon, women come out and sell plastic bags of thin, oblong sliced fried green plantain (starchy, not sweet) and top each bag with a mound of ensalada de repollo and then ask, "¿Chile?" if you say "Sí," they add a generous helping of diced onion that had been pickled in spicy vinegar with tumeric, so it's bright yellow. (Not chile as we know in mexico and texas.) You eat it with your hands, which can be a little messy. I forget their proper name.

3. carne de res tacos - León, C$50 (US$2.50)
After several mojitos and pool matches with my estonian friend, we wandered out toward the parque central on a friday night looking for eats. we found two women behind the mercado in the street, with some plastic tables and chairs, and a variety of foods. however, there was some delicious-smelling meat on a grill. half was beef (carne de res) and the other half was pork. Siim and i opted for the carne, and we given a big fat steak taco on a flour tortilla, along with a side of gallo pinto (Nicaragua's other staple - kidney beans and white rice, mixed) and ensalada de repollo. A little pricy for street food, but I was hungry and it was late.

4. tacos fritos de pollo - León, C$21 (US$1)
this is it. on a long walk back from the east mercado where i got off the bus to playa las peñitas, i was hooooongry and saw three women parked under a tarp by a basketball court east of the parque central. it was sunset, the hour at which the best street food comes out. for ONE DOLLAR US i had the pleasure of being served a plate (a real, washable plate) with two fried chicken tacos (the chicken was almost curry-tasting, and tumeric yellow) , ensalada de repollo, and gallo pinto. The salad and tacos were doused in crema and chile - the crema could have been mayo cut with lime, and once again the chile was hot yellowy vinegar, not cholula. but it was a DAMN filling meal for $1, and i ate it in a plastic chair on the sidewalk. holy shit, street food heaven. for as many gripes as i have with león, the food makes me wanna stay.

5. fruta - various cities and pueblos, C$5-8 (US$.25-.40)
Cut fruit in a bag, you eat it with your hands. The most popular is mango, either maduros (ripe) or no-so-ripe. i've also seen pineapple (the pineapples here are white inside, and more tart than sweet), watermelon, and mixed with banana halves. You can also buy deliciously ripe bananas on the street for C$1 (US$.05). Here, however, the only seasoning they add to the fruit is salt - no chile or lime like in mexico.

6. quinceañera dinner - san juan de oriente (party)
lisseth, artie's friend whose family makes pottery in san juan de oriente, invited me to her little sister's quinceañera while i was near granada. she was very concerned about whether or not i would like the food, but i eat anything at other people's houses and it was rad: stewed chicken legs in a tomato and chile mild sauce, arroz, ensalada de repollo, and puré de papas (potato salad, but the potatoes were a little more well-cooked than in the states). this came with a side of white bread; with the sauce on the chicken being reminiscent of barbecue sauce, it made the plate very much like texas-style bbq. dinner was followed by a queque, also known as pastel: a big, flowery, iced cake that we got at a bakery in masaya and carried back to san juan in a mototaxi or tuk tuk (three-wheeled motorcycle cab with backseat) on a dirt road the whole way. lisseth did a great job of keeping the cake stable through all the ruts and pits in the road.

Note to self: Take more pictures of your food.