The nacatamal is a traditional Nicaraguan dish similar to the tamal and hallaca.
Its name derives from the Nawat language and translates to “meat tamale“.
The word tamal means “wrapped”, as these preparations are wrapped in corn husks or plantain or banana leaves.
During the pre-Columbian era, the nicarao used hunted meats such as deer and turkey with ingredients like tomatoes, annatto, and herbs to season and enhance the flavor of nacatamal before wrapping it in corn husks and steaming it.
After the Spanish conquest, nacatamales began to be made with introduced meats like pork, then including flavorful ingredients such as onions and replacing corn leaves with banana leaves.
The nacatamal is perhaps the most produced in traditional Nicaraguan cuisine, typically consumed on weekends, for dinner or breakfast, usually together with white bread and coffee.
It is common to enjoy nacatamales during special occasions, holidays, and invite family and neighbors to join.
A nacatamal is mainly composed of nixtamalized corn masa (a type of dough traditionally obtained from a process called nizquezar) and lard, but includes seasonings like salt and annatto.
The masa is poured onto plantain leaves that undergo their separate preparation.
Before a nacatamal can be wrapped and taken to the final cooking stage, it must be filled.
The filling is usually made up of: pork meat with annatto, rice, potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, olives, mint, and the Cile Congo, a tiny egg-shaped chili pepper found in Nicaragua.
Occasionally, dried plums, raisins, or capers may be added.
The masa and filling are then wrapped in banana or plantain leaves, tied with a string, and turned into bundles.
Today it is common to wrap nacatamales in both banana or plantain leaves and aluminum foil before cooking.
They were once traditionally cooked in large quantities over a wood fire, now nacatamales are steamed or pressure cooked for several hours.
They were the stars of the ViaggiandoMangiando on air appointment on December 9, 2023, dedicated to plantains.
On the blog, you can find the recipe for Colombian Tamales, but there are many other types of tamales throughout Latin America:
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Steam
- Cuisine: Latin American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz corn flour
- 4.4 oz lard
- 3 bitter oranges (juice only)
- to taste salt
- 1.1 lbs ground pork
- 0.7 cups rice
- to taste annatto
- 2 potatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 onions
- to taste mint
- to taste green olives
- 2 chili peppers
- to taste salt
Tools
- Banana or plantain leaves
- Kitchen string
Steps
Prepare the leaves:
Remove the ridge from the leaves.
Cut the leaves into squares of 12×12 inches and wash them under lukewarm running water.
Work in batches in the microwave for 1.5 or 2 minutes, it helps make the leaf more flexible.
Prepare the masa:
Combine the corn flour with lard, orange juice, salt, and enough water to make the mixture smooth and soft.
In a pan, cook the meat with annatto. Season with salt.
Rinse the rice.
Place the banana or plantain leaves crosswise and proceed with the filling in this order:
masa + meat + rice + chili peppers + onion + tomato + potatoes + bell peppers + mint + olives.
Tie with kitchen string.
Steam for 4 or 5 hours, and turn halfway through cooking.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What are the other types of Latin American tamales?
The chuchitos, originating from Guatemala, are small tamales made with corn and tomato sauce, with a firm consistency.
They are usually filled with pork, beef, or chicken and sprinkled with Zacapa hard cheese, a cheese similar to panela.
The hallacas are one of the typical dishes of Venezuela and, like most national dishes, these tamales are made with corn, but are seasoned with chicken broth and achiote, which gives them a stronger color.
They are filled with different types of meat and sweet and savory ingredients like grapes, raisins, olives, onions, and capers.
The humintas, the Bolivian tamales, are made with a softer type of corn than the Mexican one and are cooked directly by immersing them in boiling water.
Unlike other tamales, humintas do not have a filling but a dough seasoned with basil, onion, and spices and dipped in a sauce of tomato, chili, onion, coriander, and olive oil.
The Brazilian tamales are called pamonhas, they are made with corn dough and can be sweet or savory.
When they are sweet, they have coconut milk or pulp, and if they are savory, they are filled with cheese, ground meat, or bell peppers.
The Mexican tamales, originating in Mesoamerica, are made with corn or rice dough;
they can be wrapped in corn or banana leaves and filled with meat, chicken, vegetables, chilies, sauce, and even mole, or otherwise, they can also be sweet and have raisins or more modern fillings like jam, cream cheese, and hazelnut cream.
