Horchatas

                                      Horchatas

I know horchata isn’t a type of food but it’s known as a cultured drink that has a unique taste. Though there are only 2 types of horchatas that I know of which are El Salvador’s horchata & Mexico’s horchata. I used to think that both horchatas tasted the same because they looked almost exactly alike but when I tried the Mexican horchata for the first time, I noticed a difference in the taste. It was a different taste from the Salvadorian horchata that my mom makes at home and then it hit me, a question popped into my head, “Why do they taste so different?” I went with that question in mind to my mom and asked her and she responded by saying, “Well both countries use different ingredients to make their horchata.” With that I started my search on what ingredients do both El Salvador & Mexico use to make their horchata their own.

Salvadorian Horchata

The horchata found in El Salvador is made primarily from morro seeds (not rice), ground cocoa, cinnamon, and sometimes vanilla. Horchata is mainly a homemade drink but very popular in restaurants like in this one restaurant that is part of my childhood called El Majahual in Los Angeles. Though there are more ingredients that are added to the Salvadorian horchata most people use the ingredients that are listed above.

Mexican Horchata

Well by now you’re probably wondering what’s in the Mexican horchata. In the Mexican horchata, you would wash the rice and then drain it & would then combine it with cinnamon sticks in water. Once combined they will tend to leave it like that overnight to get soaked in the refrigerator. Then the next day, they will get rid of the cinnamon sticks and put the rice and water into a blender. After it’s blended, they would typically tend to serve it with ice.

Akoukou Thompson, Nicole. "Horchata: The History Of The Delicious Beverage & How To Make It At Home." Latin Post. 16 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

Ceviches Of Central America

                                          Ceviches Of Central America

Ceviche is a very popular seafood dish in the coastal regions of Latin America. Though is to be said that the most enjoyable variety of ceviches are found in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, & Peru, but the most uniquely styled ceviche can be found in coastal Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, the Caribbeans, the United States, Panama, Mexico, and a whole lot of other countries as well. However the 2 ceviches I’ll be talking about are: Honduran Ceviche De Corvina & Guatemalan Ceviche De Camaron.

Honduras Ceviche De Corvina

The Ceviche De Corvina is an Honduran dish  made out of white flesh fish fillets that is cut into ½ inch dice and is mixed in a bowl with 13 other ingredients. This ceviche is prepared cooked or raw and is cold and is even a main course and appetizer. The Ceviche De Corvina is not only an Honduran ceviche but also a Peruvian and Ecuadorian ceviche. Though they have the same name, they each have their own unique taste that is different from each other.

                                                       

Guatemala Ceviche De Camaron

Guatemalan’s Ceviche De Camaron (Shrimp) is served in a cocktail glass and they also add plantain chips or tostadas for more enjoyment to this dish. This ceviche is made with cooked shrimp and 8 other ingredients. As a matter of fact, Ceviche De Camaron isn’t only made in Guatemala but also in El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Mexico & even Ecuador. Ceviche De Camaron is a very popular ceviche throughout Latin America. Though all I can say is that Salvadorian ceviche is tasteful and savory, I would recommend trying it. In the end, I would also recommend trying all ceviches for the taste.

Lagasse, Emeril. "Honduran Ceviche De Corvina." Food Network. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.
 
  "Receta de Ceviche Guatemalteco De Camarón." Recetas Gratis. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

2 Mouthwatering Pizzas Of The World

2 Mouthwatering Pizzas Of The World

How many different types of pizzas are there in the world? Well I don’t know the exact answer but all I can tell you is that there are many different types of pizzas around the world that I can’t keep count of! They say that the origin of pizza comes from a city in Italy called Naples but other people say it doesn’t. For some people pizza is just another type of delicious food but to me pizza is my LIFE! I hope to try some of the many pizzas of the world soon but for now I’m going to focus on 2 mouthwatering pizzas of the world and those are: New York Style Pizza & Neapolitan Pizza. Each of these pizzas come from a different place in the world and are made differently like: New York City, New York and Naples, Italy.

                                                         

                                        

                                                         New York Style Pizza

New York Style Pizza originated in New York City, New York in the United States and is made by pizza dough, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. This form of pizza is hand crafted and is even hand tossed in the air to come out looking like thin crust pies. As a matter of fact, it is made this way to be folded in half in order to be eaten. Also, other states besides New York like: New Jersey & Connecticut eat the pizza folded in half as well. To top it off, they even add typical condiments like oregano, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, & dried red chili pepper flakes.

                                                

                                                          Neapolitan Pizza            

Just like the New York Style Pizza originated in New York, the Neapolitan Pizza had to originate from somewhere. Well this Italian pizza originated from Naples, Italy and is made by pizza dough (type 0 or 00 tender wheat flour, brewer’s yeast or sour dough, natural yeast, sea salt, and water), mozzarella (bufala campana), & tomatoes (San Marzano). In addition, Neapolitan Pizzas  are really small & about 10-12 inches. In fact, this pizza is made closer to the size of a personal pizza. As to this day, there are a variety of restaurants that serve Neapolitan Pizza and their feature dish. In the end, I hope you all get a chance to try both of these tasteful looking pizzas at least once in your life.

"Oola.com." Oola.com. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

Same Food Different Taste

       Same Food Different Taste

                                           By: Elizabeth Franco

If Latin American countries make empanadas, why do they taste so different? That was the first question that popped into my head. Well I thought they all tasted the same but as I listened to my mom explain how each country has their own version of empanadas, another question came into my mind: What makes them so different? Though empanadas may look the same, they’re made accustomed to their culture, just like El Salvador, Argentina, & Mexico’s empanadas.

   

            Salvadorian                                   Argentinian                                 Mexican

    Empanadas de Platanos              Empanadas Mendocinas              Pastes Pachuqueños

The difference between Salvadorian, Argentinian and Mexican empanadas is that Salvadorians use very ripe plantains for their empanada dough. This Salvi-style empanada is considered a dessert also known as Postres de la Cipota and has a near custard-like filling that is made by rice flour and milk. While on the other hand, the Argentinian empanadas use milk in their dough to make it creamier from other empanadas. Mendocinas are typically stuffed with ground beef, a slice of hard boiled egg and a green olive slice. These empanadas come from the Mendoza region of Argentina. From the State of Hidalgo in Mexico comes an empanada known as Pastes Pachuqueños that are a tradition in Mexico especially in a small town called Real Del Monte & also Pachuca. The dough from the empanadas is made from wheat flour & is thinner. The Pastes Pachuqueños are baked with pulque (an alcoholic drink made by fermenting sap from the maguey), salt, egg, lard, and even at times, milk but as the years passed by, people have been adding more ingredients such as green chile for flavor and poblano chile and sometimes candy. Pastes Pachuqueños come in savory and sugary varieties. All things considered, I would recommend to try all three types of empanadas for that fact that each culture has their own unique taste when it comes to food.

Simon, Yara. "A Journey Through The Empanadas Of Latin America." Remezcla. 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

"Pastes Pachuquenos." Nokrisscecco. 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.