Desayuno Tipico

What we have here is desayuno tipico Nicaraguese - a typical Nicaraguan breakfast.

The bowl to the right contains gallo pinto (the national dish of both Nicaragua and Costa Rica), a stir-fried mixture of rice and black (or sometimes red) beans. Gallo pinto translates to 'spotted rooster', with the beans being the 'spots'.

The main plate contains scrambled eggs with green beans, sweet fried plantains (platinos in spanish), green fried plantains and fried (extremely salty!) cheese with tomatoes. Central Americans love to fry their food! They also love their carbs- beans, rice, tortillas, pan dulce, plantains and so on...

This breakfast is served with a spicy, vinegar-based dipping sauce for the platinos and a tall glass of limonata.

This meal set me back about 3 dollars on Isla de Ometempe.

This second plate is a typical Guatemalan breakfast. As with most all of Central America, the plantains, eggs and beans remain a key part of the meal.

In Guatemala the black beans are mashed up and fried- no 'Gallo Pinto' here. Rice is commonly replaced by bread or tortillas.