Written by: Raúl Gavarrette O.
Translated by: Fernando Rodríguez M.
Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure because one of the most popular dishes in Nicaragua is the mouth-watering Vigoron! Dr. Alejandro Barberena Perez’s book Granada in 1971 is the ultimate source for information on the origins of the Vigoron, which took place in Granada in 1914. Dr. Barberena’s book is bursting with fascinating information! He tells us that Maria Luisa Cisneros Lacayo, fondly known as «la Loca», created this delicious recipe at the drop of a hat. She named it Vigoron after observing a poster of a famous, widely popular energy tonic during the early 20th century. The tonic referred to the strength that was meant to advertise. Maria Luisa had always been known for her delicious pork meat with cassava, but then, feeling inspired, she had the brilliant idea to combine it with crispy pork rind. As time went by, she added a salad mix, and finally, as her sales increased, she christened it the mouth-watering Vigoron, a dish now savoured not only in Nicaragua but also in other Central American countries.
Vigorón, like so many other Nicaraguans, has also crossed our borders. I’m so excited to tell you that one of the Central American countries where it is most widely savoured is our southern neighbour, Costa Rica! It’s a beautiful thing, the way immigration brings with it new tastes and flavours, and carries culinary culture with it wherever it goes. The delicious and unique dish known as vigorón, which hails from Granada in Nicaragua, has found a special place in the hearts and kitchens of many in Costa Rica. This beautiful connection was forged thanks to the incredible journey of Nicaraguans seeking new opportunities, whether for work or study, which brought them to the beautiful country of Costa Rica.
It’s so lovely to hear that this popular Nicaraguan dish is now being enjoyed not only in Guanacaste, the province that shares a border with Nicaragua, but also in San José, the capital city. If you’re ever in San José and you’re craving some delicious Nicaraguan food, you should definitely check out the Rincón Nicaragüense restaurant. It’s just a stone’s throw from the Torre Médica on Paseo Colón avenue, so it’s really easy to find. The people who own the place are super friendly and the food is amazing. They serve a dish called vigorón, which is a traditional Nicaraguan dish, and it’s served with other delicious Nicaraguan dishes. Nicaraguans in Costa Rica have made the delicious vigorón a popular choice at parties, birthdays and Central American Independence Day celebrations, and it’s so easy to see why!
It’s so lovely to see the stalls selling vigorón in Liberia, Bagaces, Cañas and San José during school parades and the September 15th celebrations. The original version of this delicious Nicaraguan dish is just what you need on a cold day. It consists of soft, cooked cassava, lightly toasted pork rinds, a salad of finely chopped cabbage, diced tomatoes and plantain vinegar. Some people add pickled gherkins, if you like. According to tradition, it’s best enjoyed on plantain leaves (chagüite) with your fingers. It’s just not traditional to serve it on ceramic or plastic plates, or to eat it with a knife and fork. Recently, some kiosks or vigorón stands in Granada have been serving it on disposable plastic plates with disposable knives and forks, influenced by a misguided understanding of tourism. It’s so sad to think that this might be an insult to the real, traditional side of our culture.
In Costa Rica, Nicaraguans and Nicaraguan eateries that prepare this dish commercially have varied it, as have Costa Ricans who have created other variations of the original traditional Nicaraguan dish. Some cultural journalists in Mexico and some travellers, who sadly had a bit of a lack of information, have presented it in videos and articles as a dish of Costa Rican origin, when in fact it is a dish that originated in Granada, Nicaragua.
I really hope that the wonderful vigorón brought to Costa Rica by its lovely Nicaraguan immigrants is prepared according to tradition and isn’t adorned with polluting plastic. According to the many fans of this traditional Nicaraguan dish, the best traditional vigorón is served in Granada at the popular corner of the municipal market. While this Nicaraguan dish is popular all over Costa Rica and is adapted to suit the local taste, in Nicaragua we’ll continue to enjoy it in the traditional way, as the authentic vigorón born of Nicaraguan culinary creativity.
