In the larger Honduran cities such as Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula or La Ceiba American fast food restaurants abound, but don't expect to find everything you're accustomed to in Phoenix or Chicago. Pizza in the American chains tastes much the same but you will also find sides of tortilla soup, yuca and the ubiquitous Ensalada de Repollo, shredded cabbage with vinegar. Hamburgers are reasonably good but have a decidedly Latin flavor seasoned for local tastes.
For the true experience of Honduran gastronomical culture it pays to seek out the smaller comidores, preferably outside the city. While travelling from Santa Barbara to Intibucá and being particularly thirsty, we stopped at a little house beside the Rio Zacapa displaying a sign claiming to have the coldest beer in Honduras. Honduran beer is particularly good, and "the coldest" is even better! The lady proprietor made us comfortable in chairs around a table on the front porch, and we were not disappointed with the temperature of the beer. A menu hand-written on a chalkboard above the door listed a half dozen items from which we chose chicken tacos. Honduran tacos are rolled in a flour tortilla filled with meat, fine Honduran cheese, chiles and seasonings, baked or fried and covered with a tomato salsa. They very much resemble what Americans think of as an "enchilada".
Many tiny restaurants have no menu. They serve whatever the Señora happened to cook that day. All have bottled water and soda to be opened at the table, and most have beer, as we experienced in another little pueblo in northern Francisco Morazán. The little eatery had cobblestone floors, a door and walls but one half was open to the sky to allow natural lighting. It was really quite attractive even with the occasional dog wandering in to politely wait for a bone, only to be shooed out by the waitress. On this occasion they had pork chops, fresh home made corn tortillas, refried red beans and cabbage salad. The food was exceptional and the price unbelievably reasonable.
Many roadside shops specialize in only one or two items. Maybe some incredibly strong but remarkably un-bitter coffee and rosquillas or quesadillas. Rosquillas look like thin doughnuts but are made from corn and Honduran cheese and are not sweet. Quesadillas usually look like doughnuts also, fatter than rosquillas and slightly sweet with cinnamon flavor. A real treat when in season are fritas de elote, green corn cut from the cob and ground by hand into a batter and cooked on a grill like pancakes. Most vendors sprinkle them with powdered sugar or add honey, but just the natural taste of the corn is wonderful!
Another of the many treats in a lot of specialized restaurants, large and small, are pupusas. Though actually of Salvadoran origin they are wildly popular among Hondurans. These are like a thick corn pancake filled with meat, cheese, beans, chicharrónes, chorizo, chiles and/or whatever may sound good to the cook. Anyone visiting without having tried pupusas and the local chorizo has not really experienced Honduras!
Many visitors to Honduras cling to the restaurants in the major hotels, malls or American fast food chains because of a largely unfounded fear of local food and drink. Most restaurants in the larger cities are quite safe, and in the tiny local eateries those who avoid drinks with ice, drink only bottled water, soda and beer are not at all in danger. With a little vigilance and forethought these tiny places can be a quite rewarding cultural experience.
Lew Marcrum is a photographer and writer located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Primary genres include stock and travel concentrating on Latino and Central American culture, scenery, food and little-known potential tourist destinations.
Please visit us at: http://www.fotoscatrachas.com
Article Source: Lew_Marcrum
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