Eating Good on the Gulf of Honduras

If there were one phrase that could describe Honduras cuisine, it would have to be “comfort food”. On any given Sunday afternoon, one can smell the luring aromas of stews and sauces coming from every home in Tegucigalpa, the capital and largest city of Honduras. The various foods and dishes of Honduras are a welcome sight for travelers seeking a homemade meal. Honduras foods are also typically low in fat are generally very healthy. This is great news for calorie conscious travelers. The foods of this region are heavily influenced with Mediterranean and Spanish ingredients and preparation, but include a flare only found in Honduras.

One of the great things about Honduras food is that although it is quite healthy, using very little fats or oils, it still holds a strong flavor. Like most foods across the world, the traditional foods of Honduras are typically made up hand me down recipes of working families. What may be an exotic stew of seafood and delicious and rare spices to a western traveler may just be a typical Sunday lunch of whatever was on hand for a typical Honduras family. One important principle of Honduras culture is that locals do not waste food. Any food. For example, the most popular fruit in Honduras is the Pineapple. Locals have recipes for every part of the fruit, including its skin and leaves. Nothing is wasted, everything is used.

The tamale is a local specialty as well. The Honduras version of the tamale is usually a Banana leaf stuffed with meats, vegetables and rice. There are dozens of different tamale recipes and classical preparations, although beef, being heavily restricted in Honduras, tend to be harder to find. Seafood tamales are an especially popular on-the-go dish, with bountiful seafood and fish all around Honduras.

Honduras is a wonderful travel destination, filled with colorful Macos, beautiful orchids and stunning coastlines. The food of Honduras, with its simple family-style presentations can be a welcome change of pace to the usual fast-paced restaurants most travelers are used to.