Something I often forget is that all the things I now find normal after seven months in Honduras are probably still at least a little strange to a lot of people at home. To help with this, I have a series of blogs planned to so you can understand some everyday parts of my life a bit better. First up is a food diary from the 13th to the 19th of February. It just so happened to cover my birthday weekend so there's a bit more cake involved than my average week but I'm not complaining!
MONDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, ricissimo, green beans and egg, plantain and tortilla
* Banana licuado
* Mora juice
Frijoles and torillas are a very important part of any meal. We eat frijoles at least twice a day, with breakfast and dinner, and a torilla with every meal. Frijoles come in many different ways such entero (the whole bean) or revueltos, meaning refried (as shown in the picture).
Frijoles and torillas are a very important part of any meal. We eat frijoles at least twice a day, with breakfast and dinner, and a torilla with every meal. Frijoles come in many different ways such entero (the whole bean) or revueltos, meaning refried (as shown in the picture).
Merienda
* Tamal de frijol
* Coffee
Merienda is basically when the kids get a snack at school, although sometimes it's more like a meal. We uesd to eat it every day but because of timetable changes since the holidays they have it later, just as we're heading home for lunch.
Merienda is basically when the kids get a snack at school, although sometimes it's more like a meal. We uesd to eat it every day but because of timetable changes since the holidays they have it later, just as we're heading home for lunch.
Lunch
* Frijoles, rice, chimichurri, beef and tortilla
* Mora juice
Lunch is our most standard meal of the day. It is usually composed of chicken, rice, salad and a tortilla. Once a week we get beef, as we did today, once or twice a week it's spaghetti (the best days) and occasionally fish or soup.
Lunch is our most standard meal of the day. It is usually composed of chicken, rice, salad and a tortilla. Once a week we get beef, as we did today, once or twice a week it's spaghetti (the best days) and occasionally fish or soup.
Chimichurri is a salad of tomato onion and coriander.
Snack
* Pan de piña
Pan is a very loose term in Honduras. In Spanish it literally means bread but it encompasses so much more. Pan is usually eaten with coffee and can be a sweet bread kind of like brioche, more cakey, or basically a biscuit.
Pan is a very loose term in Honduras. In Spanish it literally means bread but it encompasses so much more. Pan is usually eaten with coffee and can be a sweet bread kind of like brioche, more cakey, or basically a biscuit.
Dinner
* Frijoles, ricissimo, green beans and egg, courgette and tortilla
I have to admit here that I'm not actually sure if ricissimo is actually called ricissimo. It is kind of like cottage cheese but softer and smoother. We also have something called cuajada which is very similar cottage cheese too. The actual cheese that we eat here is very different from back home, not a bit of cheddar in sight. It is very hard and tastes a little bit like parmesan. I really like it but Amy's not a fan.
I have to admit here that I'm not actually sure if ricissimo is actually called ricissimo. It is kind of like cottage cheese but softer and smoother. We also have something called cuajada which is very similar cottage cheese too. The actual cheese that we eat here is very different from back home, not a bit of cheddar in sight. It is very hard and tastes a little bit like parmesan. I really like it but Amy's not a fan.
TUESDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, plantain, egg and ham, tortilla
* Black coffee and sugar
* Banana licuado
Licuados are basically milkshakes but so much better (for no specific reason). The most popular is banana followed by strawberry but I have to say I'm a banana fan. Very refreshing.
Licuados are basically milkshakes but so much better (for no specific reason). The most popular is banana followed by strawberry but I have to say I'm a banana fan. Very refreshing.
Lunch
* Chicken, rice, cucumber, tomato, tortilla
* Mora juice
We are very lucky that we have fresh juice to drink every day. Mora means blackberry and is surprisingly nice. Other flavours include orange, melon, lemon with chia seeds, passion fruit, a green one (not sure what it is but has to be healthy, right?), and mango.
We are very lucky that we have fresh juice to drink every day. Mora means blackberry and is surprisingly nice. Other flavours include orange, melon, lemon with chia seeds, passion fruit, a green one (not sure what it is but has to be healthy, right?), and mango.
Snack
* Pan de piña
Dinner
* Green beans and frijoles enteros, cuajada, beetroot, avocado and tortilla
* Water
* Kit Kat
We usually have a stash of sweets that have either been sent over by kind friends and family or that we've brought back from weekend trips. Especially with chocolate, you've got to get it when you can.
* Cake!
We were invited over to a friends house to celebrate El Día del Amor y Amistad (Valentine's Day) and there was cake! I know what Valentine's Day needs at home now.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast
* Green beans and frijoles enteros, cuajada, avocado, plantain and tortilla
* Coffee
Plantain is like a sweet banana you can only eat when it's cooked. This is my least favourite way to have though the softer it it, the nicer. It can also be cut into strips and pan fried, which is delicious. When the strips are deep fried they become kind of like chips and are called tajadas and if you deep fry thin slices they are like crisps!
Plantain is like a sweet banana you can only eat when it's cooked. This is my least favourite way to have though the softer it it, the nicer. It can also be cut into strips and pan fried, which is delicious. When the strips are deep fried they become kind of like chips and are called tajadas and if you deep fry thin slices they are like crisps!
Lunch
* Spaghetti in a tomato sauce, frijoles, ricissimo, tortilla
* Mora juice
Today was a good day - spaghetti for lunch!
Today was a good day - spaghetti for lunch!
Dinner
* Frijoles, cuajada, avocado and tortilla
* Mora juice
Avocados are a blessing of Central American cuisine. I don't eat them much avocado back in Scotland but I don't think it will stay that way once I return. Sometimes they're a bit hit and miss but more often than not it's a home run.
THURSDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, ricissimo, scrambled eggs
* Mora juice
* Coffee with sugar
* Coffee with sugar
People who know me at home know the closest I get to drinking coffee is getting a nice big whiff of the smell. I don't really like coffee but here it's a different story. I do need a lot of sugar with it but seeing as we don't have milk to go with it I think that's allowed.
Lunch
* Chicken, rice, tomato, cucumber, tortilla
* Mora juice
Dinner
* Frijoles enteros, ricissimo, scrambled egg with tomato and tortilla
* Fresh orange juice
FRIDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, cuajada, scrambled egg and ham, fried plantain, tortilla
* Fresh orange juice
This is my favourite type of plantain to have!
This is my favourite type of plantain to have!
Lunch
* Chicken, rice, tomato, cucumber and tortilla
* Fresh orange juice
Dinner
* Baleadas (with frijoles, cheese and egg)
* Plum
* Mora juice
Ah, baleadas. By far my favourite food in Honduras, baleadas are made of a different type of tortilla to our usual, filled with refried beans, Honduran cheese and mantequilla (kind of like a mix between mayonnaise and sour cream) and then folded in half. This is called a baleada sencilla or you can have con huevos (with scrambled eggs). The king of Honduran food.
Ah, baleadas. By far my favourite food in Honduras, baleadas are made of a different type of tortilla to our usual, filled with refried beans, Honduran cheese and mantequilla (kind of like a mix between mayonnaise and sour cream) and then folded in half. This is called a baleada sencilla or you can have con huevos (with scrambled eggs). The king of Honduran food.
SATURDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, spinach and egg, plantain, cuajada and tortilla
* Mora juice
Ever since I got a touch of anemia in October (coupled with the flu which made it look worse than it was), our host mum loves stuffing me full of spinach and I must say I have a new found taste for it.
Ever since I got a touch of anemia in October (coupled with the flu which made it look worse than it was), our host mum loves stuffing me full of spinach and I must say I have a new found taste for it.
Lunch
* Chicken enchilada (crispy tortilla, chicken, potato, tomato and shredded cabbage)
* Banana licuado
If you've read my previous blog about my birthday weekend, you'll know we climbed a mountain next to Candelaria so thought we were well deserved a treat. We went to a local cafe and got some enchiladas, which are thin, deep fried tortillas with toppings.
If you've read my previous blog about my birthday weekend, you'll know we climbed a mountain next to Candelaria so thought we were well deserved a treat. We went to a local cafe and got some enchiladas, which are thin, deep fried tortillas with toppings.
Dinner
* Cena tipica from a comedor (frijoles, scrambled eggs with onion, chicken, cheese, plantain, avocado and tortillas)
* Coca-Cola
I actually forgot to take a picture when we were out with Jesse and Lucy at a comedor (a restaurant that kind of looks like it's in someone's front room!) on their last night with us so this is from another day but just imagine this plus a slice of avocado!
An interesting thing about drinks in restaurants is that as well as buying cans and plastic bottles of juice they also come in glass bottles that you return at the end of your meal. It's obviously much more eco-friendly and I personally think that Fresca (a grapefruit flavoured fizzy drink) is never more refreshing than out of glass.
I actually forgot to take a picture when we were out with Jesse and Lucy at a comedor (a restaurant that kind of looks like it's in someone's front room!) on their last night with us so this is from another day but just imagine this plus a slice of avocado!
An interesting thing about drinks in restaurants is that as well as buying cans and plastic bottles of juice they also come in glass bottles that you return at the end of your meal. It's obviously much more eco-friendly and I personally think that Fresca (a grapefruit flavoured fizzy drink) is never more refreshing than out of glass.
* Cake!
It was my birthday weekend and we decided to have the cake a bit early. Cake in Honduras is another weird one. After baking the cake, it is usually soaked in milk to keep it moist (more like sodden). At first we were repulsed by this but over time have come round. I did still opt for a milkless cake for my birthday though.
SUNDAY
Breakfast
* Frijoles, cauliflower and broccoli, plantain, cuajada, tortilla
* Water
Lunch
* Fried chicken and tajadas with salsa
* Pineapple juice (in a bag)
We went out into our weekly market and were treated to a free lunch by our friend's parents as a birthday present. An interesting thing with this meal was that our juice came tied up in a small freezer bag. You bite the corner off and suck it out through the hole. This is not uncommon and bags of water are seen in most shops which actually saves on money and plastic if you already have a bottle.
We went out into our weekly market and were treated to a free lunch by our friend's parents as a birthday present. An interesting thing with this meal was that our juice came tied up in a small freezer bag. You bite the corner off and suck it out through the hole. This is not uncommon and bags of water are seen in most shops which actually saves on money and plastic if you already have a bottle.
Dinner
* Frijoles, mantequilla, avocado and tortilla
* Orange juice
Bonus!
This food diary was supposed to be a week long but I knew our dinner from the Monday after I finished it had to be featured because it's one of my favourite meals.Dinner
* Tacos flautas (topped with a tomato sauce, shredded cabbage and grated cheese).
These tacos are unlike any I had had before coming to Honduras. Instead of typical taco shells or soft tortillas, it is a tortilla curled into a flute shape and stuffed with, for us, chicken. The best way to eat tacos, in my humble opinion.
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