Going on lunch break in Guate

Every day at one o’clock on the dot we go out and get something to eat. Getting to the office at 7:30 leaves the stomach growling by 10. I usually bring a lunch and sit in the kitchen with the rest of the people that work in my office. We joke around and if I see someone eating something that I’ve never seen, I ask for a bite. Most people are all too eager to tell me how to make it and let me try some.

But, on those days where we like to get out of the office, which happens quite a bit, we head across the street to get some shucos. Shucos are Guatemala City’s answer to the hot dog. It’s a hoagie bun grilled over coals and then filled with sausage or hot dog. They slap on a hefty amount of guacamole, onions, cilantro, mayonnaise, ketchup, slaw and picante. It’s quick, it’s cheap and it’s damn good.

This is not for the faint of heart though. At lunch time it gets packed and the vendors are throwing around prodigious amounts of meat, tortillas and bread.  If you are squeamish about street food, don’t even bother.  But, for those of you adventurous enough to try one, don’t miss it. You can usually find them on any street corner in Guatemala City but, not anywhere else.

Then of course you have your fruits for dessert. You can get a bag of mixed fruit like apples, mango, pineapple and melon. Add some salt, lime, picante, and chili powder and you have a great afternoon snack to munch on in the office. Either that or the lime, salt and chili peanuts. Just don’t come running to me when you get heartburn–that’s what the micheladas are for.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.