Breakfast is serious business in Nicaragua. It tends to be hearty, built to last through a hot morning, and it is the meal where you will most easily meet the country's everyday cooking. Here are five breakfasts to look for in Managua, from cafés to market stalls. For more background, see our guide to Nicaraguan food culture.
1. The classic plate
The standard Nicaraguan breakfast is gallo pinto, rice and small red beans fried together, with eggs any style, a slice of fresh or fried cheese, a spoonful of sour cream and warm corn tortillas. Sweet fried plantain, maduros, often comes on the side. It is filling, simple and very good with strong coffee.
2. Nacatamal on a weekend morning
On Saturdays and Sundays, many families eat nacatamales: corn dough filled with seasoned pork or chicken, rice, potato and mint, wrapped in plantain leaves and steamed for hours. Unwrapping one is part of the pleasure. They are eaten with bread and coffee, and they are sold from homes and small shops that hang a sign out when they have them.
3. Guirilas with cuajada
A guirila is a thick, slightly sweet tortilla of young corn, cooked on a griddle. It is traditionally eaten with cuajada, a mild, soft fresh cheese, and sometimes cream. Look for them at roadside stands, especially on the way out of the city.
4. Quesillo
Strictly speaking a snack, a quesillo makes a perfect late breakfast: soft, stretchy cheese wrapped in a warm tortilla, topped with pickled onion and cream, and served in a plastic bag. The towns on the road toward León are famous for them.
5. Fruit and a refresco
For something lighter, markets sell bags of cut mango, papaya, pineapple and watermelon, sometimes sprinkled with salt and lime. Pair them with a glass of pinolillo, a drink of toasted corn and cacao, or a fresh fruit juice. Our page on fritangas and refrescos has more on drinks.
Wherever you eat, follow the locals: the busiest stall usually has the freshest food.