El vaho is a dish prepared using the steam cooking method. It was the preferred way of cooking for pre-Columbian peoples and the Nahuatl.
Therefore, there are various ways to prepare these tamales. As an additional fact, this method was also most used by some African tribes.
How to prepare
The ingredients of this dish such as salted meat or cecina were used in Spanish and African cuisine, which were incorporated after the arrival of the Spaniards.
Cassava originates from the Americas. However, it is found in parts of South America, specifically on the border between Colombia and Venezuela.
And, it was later brought to Nicaragua by the tribes that migrated to Central America. The plantain originated in Asia but was brought by the Spaniards.
A fusion of flavors
Due to the aforementioned characteristics, vaho features a fusion of African, Spanish, and indigenous Nicaraguan cuisine.
And, thanks to this, various gastronomic recipes were created that combine a myriad of cultures and traditions.
Its preparation originally consisted of adding the ingredients to a clay pot, but nowadays it is more common to use a metal one.
Baho
Baho, a traditional Nicaraguan dish, combines flavors of vegetables and beef slow-cooked in banana and plantain leaves. A delicious blend of ingredients that merge to delight the palate with every bite.
At the bottom of this container, the "bed" is built where the ingredients are arranged before adding water to generate the necessary steam. It is important that the sticks used to build this bed do not release flavor as they can impair the preparation of the vaho.
