9 Street Food Snacks You Must Try on Your Trip to Nicaragua

Nacatamal and patacones in Nicaragua
Nacatamal and patacones in Nicaragua | © Arturo Sotillo / Flickr
Jack Guy

Getting stuck into street food is a great way to save money when you’re traveling in Nicaragua. Here are some of the top local delicacies that you should make sure you try.

Fritanga food stall, Nicaragua

Quesillo

A thick tortilla that’s topped with cheese and grilled before pickled onion, salt and sour cream are added. Ask for chilli if you want yours spicy.

Often sold by street vendors, these thin strips of fried plaintain are a good way to fill a hole on long journeys. They aren’t the most flavoursome thing ever, but they serve a purpose.

Vigorón

This unique salad-esque dish is made from fried pork skin, mashed yuca and pickled cabbage. It tastes better than it sounds.

Vigorón in Granada, Nicaragua

Tamal

While these corn dough bundles aren’t unique to Nicaragua, you will find them everywhere in the country. Dense corn dough and various ingredients are wrapped in a banana leaf and boiled, making for a simple and filling meal.

Nacatamal

The national dish of Nicaragua is a large tamal made with pork. It is usually eaten on Sunday mornings with a steaming cup of coffee, and eating it is a big social occasion for family and friends.

Buñuelos

You will find buñuelos throughout Latin America, with the fried dough balls dipped in syrup a popular dessert or street snack. Nicaraguan buñuelos have the distinction of being made from yuca flour, eggs and cheese.

Buñuelos in Granada, Nicaragua

Pinolillo

This tasty drink is almost a meal, made from ground corn and cocoa powder mixed with water or milk. The corn gives it a strange texture, but it’s strangely satisfying.

Güirila

A kind of salty, kind of sweet pancake served with cheese and cream, güirilas are common in northern Nicaragua.

Chicharrones

These deep-fried pork rinds won’t be to everyone’s taste, but they are great as a roadside snack if you aren’t worried about healthy eating.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article