Baho

You remember when your mom used to serve up a deliciously tender piece of pot roast that had been either simmered in a crockpot, pressure cooked on the stove-top or slow roasted in the oven? My mother would often plan this meal on Sundays. We would return home from church with a house filled with smells of cooked meat and simmering vegetables waiting for our consumption. The tender meat required no fork and the vegetables would melt in our mouths as we enjoyed the scrumptious meal together.

In Nicaragua there is the tradition of Baho. We have never made this very work and time intensive meal ourselves, but continue to enjoy it almost on a weekly basis. Near our house there is a group of women who set up there restaurant every day. They only sell baho, nothing else. On my way to work each day I see them setting up there stand at six in the morning. Assembling there plastic tables and chairs. Putting a roof up to block the sun and the possibility of rain.

The food has already been cooking for hours at this point. Already the night before the women started preparing the baho for the next day. They begin by lining a huge aluminum pan with large banana leaves. They then fill these leaves with huge quantities of goodness. A mixture of beef, yucca, three different types of plantains in various stages of maturity, onions, tomatoes and peppers. They then begin to cook the baho over a fire about 12 hours before it will be served. It seems like somewhat of a vicious cycle to me.

                                                                                                            We love the dish, it makes both of us salivate. Estela also seems to enjoy it as well as she will eat a whole serving of this scrumptious plate all by her little self.