The most important meal of the day for Guatemalans is the “desayuno tipico” or typical breakfast, it is a heavy meal but super delicious. Now, there are different versions of the Guatemalan breakfast, but the base is eggs, beans and plantains but….

…The original and typical Guatemalan breakfast comes with:

Porridge (we call it “mosh”)
Eggs (can be fried, scrambled, with tomato and onion, rancheros, divorced… and the imagination is the limit)
Refried beans
Fried plantains
Breakfast sausage, chorizo or longaniza (longaniza is a type of spicy chorizo)
Fresh cheese
Sour cream
Homemade hot sauce
Fresh fruit
Tortillas or bread
Sweet bread (for the coffee)
Orange juice
Coffee or coffee with milk

Some combinations for the eggs are

• Huevos con cebolla o tomate:  These are scrambled eggs, cooked with “Pico de Gallo” that is tomato, onion and bell pepper.

• Huevos rancheros:  This is believed to be from a Sephardi heritage, the traditional way of making these eggs is like the “shakshuka” eggs made in Israel.  Guatemalan original “huevos rancheros” are made in the same way.  In a skillet with a tomato, garlic and onion sauce and poached eggs.

• Huevos divorciados: The divorced eggs is from Mexican influence; two friend eggs are topped half in red and half in green tomato sauce.

If you like to have your eggs in a specific way, these are the words in Spanish you need:

1. Sunny side up:  Huevos estrellados
2. Scrambled:  huevos revueltos

Another breakfast that is popular in Guatemala is the Tamale breakfast

This breakfast is normally served for a special occasion, like Christmas and to celebrate after some of the catholic rituals happening in the morning like baptism and first communion. Although, this breakfast is popular in any occasion, like no special occasion at all.!

The tamale is made of corn dough stuffed with special mole that is a mix of red tomato and bell pepper sauce, spices, local nuts, sesame, and meat (pork or chicken)

The fancy tamales are decorated with capers, olives and dry plumbs.  The tamale is wrapped in banana leaf.

Normally served with hot chocolate, coffee or Atol (sort of thick and hot drink), others serve arroz en leche, (Rice pudding that is a bit watery) and hot fruit punch for the Christmas tamale.

A nicer version of the traditional Guatemalan tamale is the famous “Pache” it is also a tamale but made with potato instead of corn dough