GUATEMALA
September 10th, 2020. Guatemala is a Central American country just south of Mexico. It is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient Mayan sites. In searching for popular Guatemalan dishes I found a recipe for Jacon de Pollo. Jacon is what is knows as a recado, which is a style of meal that's one of the foundations of traditional Guatemalan Mayan cuisine. It is typically a thick stew made with a sauce. It's often cooked over an open fire in an outdoor stove in the highlands of Guatemala. There are many variations of this dish in Guatemala but this version hails from Huehuetenango, home to the highland Mam Mayan community, known for their fine weavings in magenta and violet hues. The dish itself is very similar to a green chili stew with common ingredients like chicken, tomatillos, cilantro and peppers. But what I found made this dish unique was the addition of mint and more importantly, roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sesame seeds. And don't call these seeds a garn