Chicarrone y Tajadas

It’s common knowledge that I not only love food, but that my sense of adventure doesn’t balk at culinary unknowns. Yes, I’ve had a few bad adventures but on the whole, the risk has always been worth it to me…

I have to admit to a ridiculous passion for foods we just don’t see up North. I remember trying to eat my body weight in ceviche when I first discovered it in Mexico and have taken to making a version of the fairly raw, marinated shrimp dish at home. I’ve made baleadas up in Canada, though they just don’t taste the same as here in Honduras, even though I once packed home the correct flour, soda and refried beans.

Locally, I indulge in the crisp little planteno chips, for 20 Lps a bag, (unsalted) that I buy from the back of a pickup truck near one of the major stores; the garlic flavoured casaba from the Garifuna women on Avenida Julio 14 (same price per bag) and various and sundry other bits like sweet, salted green mangos sliced in a bag to munch while walking down the street. But my absolute favourite has got to be chicarrone.

Chicarrone is basically boiled fatty pig skin and comes out crisp on one side with remnants of juicy fat on the other. When freshly cooked, we just squeeze fresh lime juice overtop and gobble it, while bouncing it hand to hand to avoid burning your fingers and when cold, simply break it up and eat it like potatoe chips with dabs of salsa. Yummy and I don’t have to worry about cholesterol and things like that!

Another favourite of mine is the staple dish of tajadas, just sliced plantenos cooked and served as a dinner staple like Canadians use potatoes. Add a little brown sugar sauce, cook until almost mushy and you have “maduras”, a sinfully sweet and totally satisfying side dish.


While out in El Pino one afternoon, family friends had killed a young pig and were cooking up a batch of chicarrone y tajadas. So there we were, with the communal table in the back yard, bags of salt and limes to the side with the open fire brewing up a vat of first chicarrone and then reused to cook up tajadas.

Health standards, what health standards? I work on the principle that the locals have survived their own cooking for generations, I’ve been here long enough to build up some kind of “Honduran immune system” and I rarely get caught out. That day was no different, with all of us thoroughly enjoying ourselves and myself taking a small measure of pride in not holding myself above them. Honduran families can be overly generous when they have the opportunity, and I would make a poor guest if I refused over squeamishness about a few germs!

Post script: Reputed to be the best place in La Ceiba to purchase chicarrone is Chicarronera QuiQue, located on Calle 19 about 3 blocks east of Avenida Julio 14. Check it out! Yet, again, sorry about the photos - Blogger hates me!