What is a nacatamal? A slow-steamed tamal wrapped in banana leaves. A nacatamal is a traditional Nicaraguan dish similar to the tamal, made of corn dough and pork. Nacatamales have Mesoamerican roots, and originated from the Nicarao tribes who inhabited western Nicaragua, its name originates from the dead Nahualt language and translates to ‘meat tamale’.
In the pre-Columbian era, the Nicarao used meats like deer, turkey, and iguana with ingredients such as tomatoes, potatoes, chilis, achiote, and herbs to season and increase the nacatamal’s flavor before being wrapped in corn husks and slowly steamed. After Spanish conquest, the original tribes learned how to make the nacatamales with meats like pork or chicken. They also evolved to include flavorful ingredients like onions, and tomatoes. By then, banana leaves replaced corn husks.
Modern times introduced the Raisins as new ingredients, however raisins are optional and not a requirement for nacatamales, used only for special ocassions like Christmas. The nacatamal is perhaps the most produced within traditional Nicaraguan cuisine and is typically eaten on the weekend, for dinner, or for breakfast; it is usually eaten together with white bread and black coffee. It is popular to enjoy nacatamales during special occasions and to invite extended family.
INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS
The ingredients of nacatamal is made up of mostly nixtamalized corn masa -a kind of dough traditionally made from a process called nezquizar- and lard, but includes seasonings such as salt and achiote (annatto). This combination is traditionally cooked in a large batch over a wood fire. The result becomes the base for the nacatamal and it is also referred to as masa. This base is ladled onto plantain leaves used for wrapping into large individual portions. The leaves undergo their own preparation separately. Before a nacatamal can be wrapped and brought to the last stage of the cooking process, it must be filled. The filling usually consists of annatto-seasoned pork meat; rice; slices of potatoes, bell peppers, slices of tomatoes, and onions; spearmint sprigs; and chile congo, a very small, egg-shaped hot chile found in Nicaragua. The masa and filling are then wrapped in the plantain leaves, tied with a plantain fiber string, and made into pillow-shaped bundles. These nacatamales are then steamed or pressure-cooked for several hours. The entire process is very labor-intensive and it often requires preparation over the course of two days; it may be necessary to involve the whole family to complete it.
While being in Nicaragua try this traditional dish. Our students have the opportunity to taste Nicaraguan food by staying with host families in any of the current Spanish language schools in Nicaragua, and of course in the Full Spanish Immersion courses at Instituto Lingüístico Inter-Cultural, the professional Spanish language school in Granada, Nicaragua.
