Typical Meals
Rice and beans are the bases of most meals -- all three of them. At breakfast, they're called gallo pinto and come with everything from eggs to steak to seafood. At lunch or dinner, rice and beans are an integral part of a casado (which translates as "married" and is the name for the local version of a blue-plate special). A casado usually consists of cabbage-and-tomato salad; fried plantains (a starchy, banana-like fruit); and a chicken, fish, or meat dish of some sort. On the Caribbean coast, rice and beans are called rice 'n' beans, and are cooked in coconut milk. A seafood and coconut stew is called rundown.
Pupusa is king in El Salvador and hard to avoid, especially if you are on a budget. The stuffed tortilla comes with queso (cheese), frijoles (beans), and chicharrón (pork rinds), amongst other fillings.
However, you don't have to look too far to see that the region boasts an abundant variety of other local dishes to sample, which incorporate unique vegetables, fruits, and grains. Though rice and beans will be on almost all menus, in coastal areas, you'll also come across an incredible amount of seafood, especially lobster and shrimp. There is a growing controversy around eating lobster, due to overfishing and the extreme danger lobster pickers are put in for very little money. Avoid eating huevos de paslama (turtle eggs), since turtles are an endangered species.
In the highlands, you'll find more beef on the menu in the form of caldos (stews) served with yucca (manioc root or cassava in English), along with chicken dishes -- just don't be too surprised if your chicken comes with the feet still attached. Everywhere you will find corn-based treats like tamales (stuffed cornmeal patties wrapped and steamed inside banana leaves), along with patacones (fried green plantain chips), often served streetside. Nacatamales are banana leaves stuffed with cornmeal, pork, potato, and onion. Guirilas are fried corn pancakes topped with cheese and are popular in Nicaragua's northern highlands.
On the whole, you'll find vegetables surprisingly lacking in the meals you're served throughout Nicaragua and El Salvador -- usually nothing more than a little pile of shredded cabbage topped with a slice or two of tomato. Topped with pork skins, this is a popular dish in Nicaragua known as vigorón.
The most common fruits are mango, papaya, pineapple, melon, and banana. Other fruits include marañón, which is the fruit of the cashew tree and has orange or yellow glossy skin; granadilla or maracuyá (passion fruit); mamón chino, which Asian travelers will recognize as rambutan; and carambola (star fruit).
Fruit is often served as dessert in both countries, but there are some other options for sweets, as well. Queque seco, literally "dry cake," is the same as pound cake. Quesadilla is a cheesecake popular in El Salvador. Flan is a typical custard dessert. It often comes as either flan de caramelo (caramel) or flan de coco (coconut). Numerous other sweets are available, many of which are made with condensed milk and raw sugar. Cajetas are popular handmade candies, made from sugar and various mixes of evaporated, condensed, and powdered milk. They are sold in differing-size bits and chunks at most pulperías (general stores) and streetside food stands. Rosquillas are corn biscuit rings topped with cinnamon and are popular in Nicaragua.
Beverages
Nicaragua produces some of the best rum in the world, the most famous brand of which is called Flor de Caña. The whole region is known for chicha, a sweet, fermented corn beverage, and an even stronger variation known as chicha brava. La cususa, a crude cane liquor that's often combined with a soft drink or tonic, is popular in Nicaragua; its counterpart in El Salvador is called Tic Tac or Torito.
You can find imported wines at reasonable prices in the better restaurants throughout the region. You can usually save money by ordering a Chilean wine over a Californian or European one. Cerveza (beer) can be found everywhere, and each country has its most popular native brands, with Victoria and Toña the most common in Nicaragua and Pilsener and Suprema the best known in El Salvador.
Popular nonalcoholic drinks include pinol, which is toasted, ground corn with water; and tiste, a variation made with cocoa beans and corn. Soda in the form of gaseosa is everywhere, as are vendors selling small bags of ice-cold mineral water -- much more environmentally friendly than bottles. Look out for excellent fruit juices called liquadas or batidas that can be served with milk or water. Among the more common fruits used in these shakes are mango, papaya, blackberries, and pineapple. Order un fresco con leche sin hielo (a fresco with milk but without ice) if you're avoiding untreated water.
If you're a coffee drinker, you might be disappointed here. Most of the best coffee has traditionally been targeted for export, and the locals tend to prefer theirs weak and sugary. Better hotels and restaurants are starting to cater to American and European tastes and are serving superior blends. If you want black coffee, ask for café negro; if you want it with milk, order café con leche. For something different, ask for agua dulce, a warm drink made from melted sugar cane and served with either milk or lemon, or straight.
Although water in parts of the region is safe to drink, bottled water is readily available and is a good option if you're worried about an upset stomach. If you like your water without bubbles, request aqua mineral sin gas or agua en botella.
Dining Customs
The capital cities have the best choices regarding restaurants, with everything from Italian, Brazilian, and Chinese eateries to chains like T.G.I. Friday's. For cheap meals, buffet-style restaurants are very popular, as are street grills on the side of the road. Informal types of restaurants are known as pupuserías and comedores.
Outside the major tourist destinations, your options get very limited very fast. In fact, many beach destinations are so remote that you have no choice but to eat in the hotel's dining room. Even on the more accessible beaches, the only choices aside from the hotel dining rooms are often cheap local places or overpriced tourist traps serving indifferent meals. At remote jungle lodges, the food is usually served buffet or family style and can range from bland to inspired, depending on who's doing the cooking, and turnover is high.
People sit down to eat lunch at midday and dinner at 7pm. Some downtown restaurants in big cities are open 24 hours; however, expensive restaurants tend to be open for lunch between 11am and 3pm and for dinner between 6 and 11pm. At even the more expensive restaurants in the region, it's hard to spend more than $50 per person unless you really splurge on drinks.
Fish
Almejas -- Clams
Atún -- Tuna
Bacalao -- Cod
Calamares -- Squid
Camarones -- Shrimp
Cangrejo -- Crab
Ceviche -- Marinated seafood salad
Dorado -- Dolphin or mahimahi
Langosta -- Lobster
Lenguado -- Sole
Mejillones -- Mussels
Ostras -- Oysters
Pargo -- Snapper
Pulpo -- Octopus
Trucha -- Trout
Meats
Albóndigas -- Meatballs
Bistec -- Beefsteak
Cerdo -- Pork
Chicharrones -- Fried pork rinds
Cordero -- Lamb
Costillas -- Ribs
Jamón -- Ham
Lengua -- Tongue
Pato -- Duck
Pavo -- Turkey
Pollo -- Chicken
Salchichas -- Sausages
Vegetables
Aceitunas -- Olives
Alcachofa -- Artichoke
Berenjena -- Eggplant
Cebolla -- Onion
Elote -- Corn on the cob
Ensalada -- Salad
Espinacas -- Spinach
Frijoles -- Beans
Lechuga -- Lettuce
Maíz -- Corn
Palmito -- Heart of palm
Papa -- Potato
Pepino -- Cucumber
Tomate -- Tomato
Yuca -- Yucca, cassava, or manioc
Zanahoria -- Carrot
Fruits
Aguacate -- Avocado
Banano -- Banana
Carambola -- Star fruit
Cereza -- Cherry
Ciruela -- Plum
Durazno -- Peach
Frambuesa -- Raspberry
Fresa -- Strawberry
Granadilla -- Sweet passion fruit
Limón -- Lemon or lime
Manzana -- Apple
Mango -- Mango
Maracuyá -- Tart passion fruit
Melón -- Melon
Mora -- Blackberry
Naranja -- Orange
Papaya -- Papaya
Piña -- Pineapple
Plátano -- Plantain
Sandía -- Watermelon
Toronja -- Grapefruit
Basics
Aceite -- Oil
Ajo -- Garlic
Arreglado -- Small meat sandwich
Azúcar -- Sugar
Casado -- Plate of the day
Gallo -- Corn tortilla topped with meat or chicken
Gallo pinto -- Rice and beans
Hielo -- Ice
Mantequilla -- Butter
Miel -- Honey
Mostaza -- Mustard
Natilla -- Sour cream
Olla de carne -- Meat and vegetable soup
Pan -- Bread
Patacones -- Fried plantain chips
Picadillo -- Chopped vegetable side dish
Pimienta -- Pepper
Pupusa -- Grilled corn tortilla filled with pork and cheese
Queso -- Cheese
Sal -- Salt
Tamal -- Filled cornmeal pastry
Tortilla -- Flat corn pancake
Drinks
Agua con gas -- Sparkling water
Agua purificada -- Purified water
Agua sin gas -- Plain water
Bebida -- Drink
Café -- Coffee
Café con leche -- Coffee with milk
Cerveza -- Beer
Chocolate caliente -- Hot chocolate
Jugo -- Juice
Leche -- Milk
Natural -- Fruit juice
Natural con leche -- Milkshake
Refresco -- Soft drink
Ron -- Rum
Té -- Tea
Trago -- Alcoholic drink
Other Restaurant Terms
Al grill -- Grilled
Al horno -- Oven-baked
Al vapor -- Steamed
Asado -- Roasted
Caliente -- Hot
Cambio or vuelto -- Change
Cocido -- Cooked
Comida -- Food
Congelado -- Frozen
Crudo -- Raw
El baño -- Toilet
Frío -- Cold
Frito -- Fried
Grande -- Big
La cuenta -- The check
Medio -- Medium
Medio rojo -- Medium rare
Muy cocido -- Well-done
Pequeño -- Small
Poco cocido or rojo -- Rare
Tres cuartos -- Medium-well-done
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
