La comida nicaragüense

Sweets at mercado central
(I was surrounded by doting old street vendor ladies when I paused near them long enough to take this picture)

Sopa de leche 10/10
What I will miss most about Nicaragua besides the language...
served nice and toasty from the metal bin on a womyn's head!

Nancita: fermented fruit 3/10

Polvorones: gingerbread-like cookie 5/10,
I was in scrubs loitering at an extraordinarily fragrant bakery when the vendor gave this too me for free,
saying something like it will make you give more vaccines! ...I think

Bogado: Nicaraguan cinnamon bun 7/10

Banana sticks covered in molasses 6/10

Guava 8/10
(Freshly cut and bagged mangoes with a dash of salt usually take preference for me)

Mamones, the Latin American lychee (but not quite as good): 7/10,
part of many sexual jokes because of how much sucking is needed to get the fruit out

Mamon juice: 9/10,
(don't be alarmed--this too came in a bag! but I transferred it to a cup to drink)

Nacatamale: the quintessential Nica food, loaded and pretty massive, sold only on the weekends

(underneath the banana leaf wrapping) 9/10

Gallo pinto: the other quintessential Nica food, served with basically every meal 9/10 (but not all created equal)

Churros Granada-style: small little nuggets reminiscent of blueberry bagels fried and covered in syrup 8/10

Churro León-style, with guava filling 8/10 (with creme de leche filling 10/10)

Banana chips 7/10
Everywhere on the streets, salty not sweet :(

Yucca chips 7/10
(Seeing as yucca is in the potato family, these predictably tasted a big like potato chips)

Manuelita: sweet crepe filled with the Nicaraguan cuajada cheese 9/10

I love my street vendors, and they love me