Our Man in Granada

Gonna Miss Flora

Now this stuff is good.

I was never much of a spirits drinker before but Nicaragua's Flora De Cana is universally loved by locals and gringos alike. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't smack their lips at the very mention of the stuff.

I've tried it numerous way.  Personally it works best for me with a splash of soda and a twist of lime but it's good with ginger ale too.  It's just so smooth - even neat it slips down without the slightest twinge.

This particular bottle is for Vladimir whose had the thankless task of attempting to teach us Spanish.  Ourwoman's good progress is testimony to his teaching ability, my slow progress is testimony to my linguistic failings.

So why are we giving him presents? Well the lessons come to an end tomorrow as we prepare to head off. 

Yes, we're cutting our Nica adventure short. More info soon.

Side note: If anyone is looking for a translator/guide/Spanish teacher then I can't praise Vladimir highly enough.  If you want his email address then drop me a line.

How to cook a fish without cooking it

This is ceviche.  Essentially raw fish that's been cooked.

If that makes little sense then let me explain. 

The foods we left behind

TOP TIP: if you're ever overseas for an extended amount of time, don't embarass yourself at the outset, by uttering the following amateurish phrase:

"Oh I would never touch a hamburger.  Really all I need is (insert local staple here)"

Nicaraguan Organic Chocolate

You might remember (link here) that, before I even arrived on these shores, I had discovered El Castillo Del Cacao.

With it being based in Matagalpa, I had given up on trying their organic chocolate until I found the time to take a trip over there.

However, it turned up today, here in Granada at Mavericks - a book shop and cafe. At 40 Cs, a little over $2, I bought a bar - then struggled for 10 minutes with the robust wrapper.  Embarrassingly, scissors were eventually produced.

Nicaraguan Food: Well not exactly.

Okay so your average ethno-garbed, travel snob might turn their nose up at a hot dog in Nicaragua.  Sure, if it's not rice and beans then it's not traditional.

But I can't live on gallo pinto alone and, looking around, hot dog stands are everywhere. 

Drinks with Dancing Girls

Okay okay, this post is going to be a huge let down for anyone who is expecting debauched behaviour.

The girls in questions were school kids putting on a show in the town square (I know not why) and the drinks were ice frosty things.

But if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me and I promised celebrated streetfood blogger the Pieman that I'd blog the food scene here. 

So, little baby first steps.  This stuff is ice, syrup and condensed milk and it tasted good.  How's that for a first stab as a food critic?

The only problem, which will be on-going, until I suss the language and/or befriend a local, is that I won't be able to ask any probing culinary questions.

Ice I know.  Condensed milk I know.  The concentrate syrup tasted like cherry but I might be wrong.

Written on the side of the cart was Raspados Agua Helada - one quick internet translation later and I get "Scraped Frozen Water". 

It all makes sense.

Pieman, this is easy. 

By the way, how does this grab you?  Should it be my next stop?

My Beer. My Blood!

Not sure what the hell happened to the sound.  But it does make me want to drink Tona.

Join the Victoria or Tona debate on Flickr. 

According to NicaLiving, in their adult beverage vote, the answer is neither.  You're better off with Flor De Cana.

More beer info here. They're not impressed with Tona:

"... I don't believe I've ever seen a more colorless liquid with alcohol levels in the range of normal beer. It's unappetizing to look at with a sickly, anemic appearance that reminds me of starved mongrels, with mangy fur clinging to their bones."

Aww, it looked so good in the commercial.

Café Society: The Rise of Consumers with a Conscience

From The Independent:

Over the past 16 years Nicaragua has been undergoing a silent revolution, led by one of the most impoverished sections of society, the peasant farmers, or campesinos. It is a revolution that fundamentally challenges the traditional free market and its neo-liberal economics, which favours paying farmers the lowest price possible, leaving them powerless to do anything but sell direct to the multinationals at prices they dictate.

It is a revolution that has allowed a group of people to produce, market and sell their produce on their own terms and in so doing challenge the multinationals that still dominate the trade.

Continue reading here.

Ahhh Nicararguan Chocolate

Just like Ronny Jordon, it appears I'm on my way to chocolate heaven.  The image on the left is from Nica-based photographer Richard Leonardi and it was taken on a trip to El Castillo del Cacao in Matagalpa.

I also stumbled across the Momotombo Chocolate Factory.  The website is a bit sparse but Treehugger states:

"The innovative confections are hand crafted from organic, unpressed and unheated cacao seeds. Sweet flavors include guava, lemongrass and ginger. Some savory options: garlic, habanero and tequila with lime. The preservative free goodies have a shelf life of 30 days."

The bad news is that it appears that all of this is probably just a little too late for Valentine's Day unless you are in Nicaragua yourself.  Details on how to buy from our choccy producers here and here.

There is however these guys who might be worth a try if you're not a Nica-dweller, the cost of your purchase also includes a donation to "..help address the issues of poverty and deforestation" in Central America.  Trust me, chicks dig that.