La Comida Típica

Thought you might like to share our lunch today, which is typical of our normal meals, but seemed to be particularly colorful today. This is also “la comida típica” for Honduras and is often simply listed that way on restaurant menus.

First of all, I am holding the most important part of the meal, the fresh tortilla. These are made from dry corn, soaked in lime water, ground daily at a mill down the street and then patted into shape by hand and cooked over a wood burning stove. Ummm – it is hard to describe how good they are and how different from tortillas I have known.

The second most important item is the beans, in this case in a separate bowl, to be topped on the rice or simply scooped into the tortilla. Then there is rice, avocado, tomato and a bit of salad and pork. Meat is not always or even usually part of the meal.

I also included pictures of what (I hope) will be part of supper, fresh corn on the cob. Doña Elena was cutting some of the “green” corn to send to the mill to be ground for tamales. Then she stuck these ears into a pot of water and built a tent of the corn husks around and over the corn to keep in the moisture while they boil.

You get a good view of the wood burning stove as well. Doña has a gas stove and a microwave, but she doesn’t like them – they are just a convenience if she needs to heat something up quickly. Says the wood stove is easier to use and makes better food.