Feasting in Antigua, Guatemala: Pollo Pepían/Spiced Chicken

Pollo Pepían (spiced chicken), recipes below. Photo from (http://exilekiss.blogspot.com/)

Guest Blogger Bio: Blake Pattridge is Chair of the History and Society Division at Babson College. He received his Ph.D. in Latin American history from Tulane University in New Orleans. He is the author of Institution Building and State Formation in Nineteenth Century Latin America: The University of San Carlos, Guatemala (2004) http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=45838.

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I have spent much time in Guatemala over the years, with my first visit to the beautiful country taking place in the summer of 1991 as a doctoral student. I stayed in Antigua Guatemala, a lovely colonial town with beautiful historic churches, ruins, and colonial edifices. There are many indigenous people who come to Antigua from surrounding pueblos to sell their wares to tourists, and the town’s parque central (central plaza) is usually bustling with commercial and entertainment activities. During my first visit, the family of a fellow graduate student took me to one of the town’s many popular restaurants, La Fonda de la Calle Real. I returned to this restaurant a handful of times that summer, and in subsequent visits found that it had moved to a new location providing it with much more space for customers. This new location had what I would describe as a quintessential Spanish colonial ambience. Upon entering through the huge wooden doors, one encountered a sense of tranquility and relative quiet that contrasted sharply with the noisy streets. Beautiful plants and flowers abundantly adorned the restaurant, and an open air courtyard gave the entire space a spacious feel. And perhaps most importantly of all, the menu had an array of classic Spanish and Guatemalan favorites. Among some of the local recipes were a Pollo Pepían (spiced chicken) dish and a Sopa de Pavo (turkey soup). The restaurant offered all sorts of meat dishes, usually accompanied by rice and beans and freshly made corn tortillas. One could order Guatemalan cervezas such as Gallo, or be treated to a fruit licuado made of some of the freshest fruits I have ever had. In sum, I used to love spending a tranquil Sunday afternoon at this restaurant enjoying some classic Spanish colonial fare with a local flavor. Here are the related recipes below.

Pollo Pepían: http://www.thegringochapin.com/2010/12/pepian-de-pollo-3.html

Sopa to Pavo: http://www.familycookbookproject.com/view_recipesite.asp?rid=246098&uid=1648&sid=3574

Series Surviving Graduate School: http://frederickdouglassopie.blogspot.com/search?q=surviving+graduate+school