Another thing I love to do while travelling is try the local dishes of the country I’m visiting. Nicaragua has quite a few of these (and I’ve tried almost all of them) but the specialty of Matagalpa in the northern highlands is the Güirila.
There are several places to buy Güirilas, including some restaurants, but most people simply buy off the ladies that set up makeshift stands on the streets of the city.
A Güirila is basically a tortilla made from very young and sweet corn that is ground into meal. In it’s most pure form – that’s it. The meal is then spread onto a buttered banana leaf, covered with another banana leaf and put onto the BBQ to cook.
Once it is cooked through, the banana leaves are set aside and the Güirila finished off with a quick direct cook on the BBQ plate. Güirilas are usually served on the banana leaves with cuajada (and cream) and are absolutely delicious! You can really taste the sweet corn flavour and the tart cuajada really offsets the sweetness.
For 13 Cordobas per Güirila and 4 Cordobas for the cuajada (ie AUD$1.50 in total) – how could you go wrong for dinner?! If you are in Matagalpa – give it a try. You won’t regret it!
