According to the book 'What the Palate Knows', the word nacatamal comes from the pre-Columbian Nahuatl language, 'nacatl' means meat and 'tamalli' means tamal or wrapped. The nacatamal is made from boiled corn ground into a dough, a generous portion of lard, a dash of salt, a few neatly cut and arranged vegetables for decoration, then a piece of pork as the centerpiece, all wrapped in banana leaves.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the dough was only seasoned with herbs, annatto was added, and meat from tomatoes or deer, it was wrapped in corn husks and steamed. After the conquest, pork began to be used and butter was stirred into the dough. This added a lot of smoothness and totally changed its taste.
The use of pork in the Indian spoon is explained: Pork quickly became the meat of the poor. For the indigenous people, it was cheaper and easier to raise pigs than cattle. Therefore, it began to become popular in their typical dishes.
Today, Nacatamal represents a source of work for many Nicaraguans, as it is one of the main dishes eaten for breakfast during weekends. Prices range from 1 to 2 dollars and can be bought in different neighborhoods of the country.
The joy of abundance is evident when families gather to eat nacatamales, celebrating special days like weddings and Christmas.
