Nacatamales and New Year's Day

Little present waiting to be opened!

A nacatamal is a Nicaraguan tamal.  It is much bigger (and tastier, in my opinion), than Mexican tamales. They are usually a weekend breakfast food (several of our neighbors make and sell them Fri., Sat. and Sun.), but can be eaten any day of the week, and for other meals. They are also served at Christmas.  Sigh: Angela just told me she's not making them for New Years.

Opened and ready to eat!

There is usually a hunk of pork and/or pork fat in the middle, along with cubed potatoes, peppers, rice, mint and other stuff... and achiote, which is kind of like paprika. It is wrapped in the cornmeal masa/mixture (Angela's has bastante ajo...lots of garlic...which I like); it is topped with a tomato slice and wrapped usually in a banana or plantain leaf (foil is only for those who don't have access to banana or plantain leaves; there are plenty here).  They are usually tied with plastic string these days. They are then cooked for at least 4 hours. Yummm!

Here's a video (in spanish) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLDBfkI1y5w
(she's very generous with the meat and skimpy on the rice and potatoes!)

 

If I got you really hungry, here's another link with photos and descriptions of other typical nica foods: http://www.living-history-nicaragua.com/recipe-nicaragua.html

año viejo/mujer vieja  (image borrowed from 

http://susannica.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-turns-to-2010-in-matagalpa.html)

As tomorrow is New Year's Eve, a quick mention of the traditions:

 

-Burning "El Hombre Viejo" (the old man...representing the old year);  There will be lots of scarecrows filled with gunpowder or fireworks tomorrow.

 

-Cohetes y Fuegos Artificiales (firecrackers, fireworks).  These haven't stopped since the beginning of December, but tomorrow night, and especially at midnight, there will many.  We'll find a good spot outside where we can view them being set off throughout town and in the surrounding hills; maybe I can talk the sisters into climbing up the church tower at midnight; that should be a fab view (don't you think so, Alexis and Zac?)

 

-A family meal at midnight.  New Years is very much about family here.  

 

-New Year's Day: for recovering, as you can imagine; at least in the morning.  In the afternoon there is a huge and lovely Eucharistic Procession that begins at the cathedral in town. 

 

Many prayers that you and I will recognize the blessings that will given us every day of the new year, if we have eyes to see.