Traditional Nicaraguan Christmas Treat

Enjoying foods of other cultures is part of life's culinary joys.
 
While living in Nicaragua, Central America, hub's native country, one of the most delicious parts of Christmas was eating freshly made nacatamales.

(That's pronounced nah-cah-tah-mah-lays). 

The incredibly unique combination of ingredients is too luscious for words.

Nacatamales are very labor-intensive and difficult to make.

Almost an entire day must be set aside. They also have to be wrapped in banana leaves, tied with string, and then boiled.

Inside dough, (masa),  are chunks of tender pork, capers, mint leaves, olives, onions, peppers,  potatoes, prunes, raisins, and tomatoes. 

Many decades have passed since we lived in Nicaragua but the thought of nacatamales is still fresh in the mind.

Luckily, our daughter learned from her late aunt, Mercedes, how to make them and during a snow day, recently, she did just that.

She does an absolutely awesome job making them.

When she gave us four nacatamales, it was enough to make me do the happy dance.  

Every single bite and morsel brought back a flood of memories as well as luscious tastes.

WHAT IS A TRADITIONAL FOOD YOU ENJOY AT CHRISTMAS?