Post by Dominicanese on Nov 19, 2017 11:37:29 GMT
Nicaragua.
Culture:
Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but also including Native American sounds and flavors. Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The Pacific coast has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by Europeans. It was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The indigenous groups that historically inhabited the Pacific coast have largely been assimilated into the mestizo culture.
The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British possessions, such as Jamaica, Belize, the Cayman Islands, etc. Unlike on the west coast, the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean coast have maintained distinct identities, and some still speak their native languages as first languages.
Cuisine:
There are some culinary differences in Nicaragua between the rural and the urban areas. In the capital of Managua, the selection of foods is much wider and there are various international restaurants that provide food from all the continents, including specialized menus with low calories, Spanish cuisine and French food or seafood specialties. In the villages, the options are more limited regarding the international ..., but there are more traditional dishes, like nactamal (with corn meal, milk, lard, potatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic), vigoron (similar to a fast food dish with pickled cabbage), vaho (a mixture of meat, plantains and yuca), gallo pinto (beans and rice), sopa pinto, sopa mondongo (tripe soup with various veggies), pescado topitapa, brochetas (a salsa with Sugar, tomatoes, lemon, vinegar, oil and fish) and tres leches cake (made of flour, unsalted butter, Sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, sweetened and condensed milk and evaporated milk, plus whipping cream and vanilla).
Finding the ingredients for an Nicaraguan Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.
Nicaraguan cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Nicaraguan cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Nicaraguan cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Nicaragua is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Nicaragua’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Nicaraguan dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes. Many of Nicaragua's specific spices can still be found here.
Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Nicaraguan cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Nicaraguan dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Nicaraguan food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".
An interesting fact regarding the Nicaraguan festivals and celebrations is that besides the general and public holidays, there are many cities which celebrate independent festivals. Nicaragua even has a special day entitled Fiesta Day (Party Day), celebrated on the 1st of August. Christmas is a very important holiday and people in Nicaragua love to celebrate it with large family feasts. The Christmas menu includes rich meals, such as roasted Chicken, various salads and complex garnishes of potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage and the pio quinto cake with rum. On Christmas, the streets and churches are decorated and people can buy traditional foods in the streets, among gifts, toys and flowers.
Music:
Music of Nicaragua is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others that are common across Central America. Pop music includes Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican and Panamanian performers, as well as those from Europe and the United States.
Nicaraguans enjoy their local artist's music but also enjoy music from around the world. They enjoy the Dominican Republic's bachata and merengue, Jamaica's reggae, Panama's reggaeton and Colombia's Cumbia among other genres including pop. Among the younger crowds, heavy metal and rock have become very popular.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 63% Mestizo
* 14% White
* 10% Mulatto
* 8% Black
* 5% Amerindian
People:
The background of the Nicaraguan people as well as the Nicaraguan culture consists of an interesting ethnical and racial mixture. This has been like this since the pre-Columbian times in this region. Nowadays, you can encounter ‘Nicas’ with a brown, white, or black skin; with dark, light brown, green, or blue eyes; with fuzzy, wavy, or smooth hair, ranging in color from dark to light. During the month of October the Day of the Races is celebrated, and in this Special we will discuss the different races and ethnical groups that have existed and that nowadays exist in Nicaragua.
As an ethnical group the Nicaraguan population is considered to be ‘mestizo’, a mix between Spanish and indigenous people. The major part of the population belongs to this group. The Nicaraguans (also called Nicas) are mestizos, but this mix goes beyond the average definition, due to the fact that the territory has been inhibited by groups of people related to three of the four basic racial groups. According to research, the area was inhabited by Mongoloids, Negroids, and Caucasians.
Languages:
Spanish is the official language of Nicaragua. Nicaraguan Spanish stems from 16th century Andaluzian and Castillian Spanish with little to strong influences from Indigenous languages.
On the Caribbean coast, indigenous languages, English and Spanish are spoken. The Miskito language, spoken by the Miskito people as a first language and some other indigenous and Afro-descendants people as a second, third, or fourth language, is the most commonly spoken indigenous language. The indigenous Misumalpan languages of Mayangna and Ulwa are spoken by the respective peoples of the same names. Many Miskito, Mayangna, and Ulwa people also speak Miskito Coast Creole, and a large majority also speak Spanish. Fewer than three dozen of nearly 2,000 Rama people speak their Chibchan language fluently, with nearly all Ramas speaking Rama Cay Creole and the vast majority speaking Spanish. Linguists have attempted to document and revitalize the language over the past three decades. Nicaraguan Caribbean English originates largely from the English spoken in Southern Ireland and British English with some influences from Indigenous and West African languages. This makes their English very similar to that of Belizean English.
The Garifuna people, descendants of indigenous and Afro-descendant people who came to Nicaragua from Honduras in the early twentieth century, have recently attempted to revitalize their Arawakan language. The majority speak Miskito Coast Creole as their first language and Spanish as their second. The Creole or Kriol people, descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the Mosquito Coast during the British colonial period and European, Chinese, Arab, and British West Indian immigrants, also speak Miskito Coast Creole as their first language and Spanish as their second.
Religion:
Approximately 73% of Nicaraguans follow the Roman Catholic religion with about 15% attending evangelical churches. Around 2% are part of the Moravian Church and some 0.1 percent are joined to the Episcopal Church.
Economy:
Nicaragua's economy is focused primarily on the agricultural sector. It is the least developed country in Central America, and the second poorest in the Americas by nominal GDP. In recent years, under the administrations of Daniel Ortega, the Nicaraguan economy has increased dramatically, although it has also been subject to the global recession. The country's economy actually contracted by 1.5% in 2009, due to decreased export demand in the US and Central American markets, lower commodity prices for key agricultural exports, and low remittance growth, but saw 4.5% growth in 2010 thanks to a recovery in export demand and growth in its tourism industry. Nicaragua's economy continues to post growth, with preliminary indicators showing the Nicaraguan economy growing an additional 5% in 2011. Consumer Price inflation have also curtailed since 2008, when Nicaragua's inflation rate hovered at 19.82%. In 2009 and 2010, the country posted lower inflation rates, 3.68% and 5.45%, respectively. About 68% of Nicaraguans suffer from poverty.
Sports:
Baseball is the most popular sport in Nicaragua. Although some professional Nicaraguan baseball teams have recently folded, the country still enjoys a strong tradition of American-style baseball.
Videos:
Culture:
Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but also including Native American sounds and flavors. Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The Pacific coast has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by Europeans. It was colonized by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The indigenous groups that historically inhabited the Pacific coast have largely been assimilated into the mestizo culture.
The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British possessions, such as Jamaica, Belize, the Cayman Islands, etc. Unlike on the west coast, the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean coast have maintained distinct identities, and some still speak their native languages as first languages.
Cuisine:
There are some culinary differences in Nicaragua between the rural and the urban areas. In the capital of Managua, the selection of foods is much wider and there are various international restaurants that provide food from all the continents, including specialized menus with low calories, Spanish cuisine and French food or seafood specialties. In the villages, the options are more limited regarding the international ..., but there are more traditional dishes, like nactamal (with corn meal, milk, lard, potatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic), vigoron (similar to a fast food dish with pickled cabbage), vaho (a mixture of meat, plantains and yuca), gallo pinto (beans and rice), sopa pinto, sopa mondongo (tripe soup with various veggies), pescado topitapa, brochetas (a salsa with Sugar, tomatoes, lemon, vinegar, oil and fish) and tres leches cake (made of flour, unsalted butter, Sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, sweetened and condensed milk and evaporated milk, plus whipping cream and vanilla).
Finding the ingredients for an Nicaraguan Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.
Nicaraguan cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Nicaraguan cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Nicaraguan cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Nicaragua is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Nicaragua’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Nicaraguan dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes. Many of Nicaragua's specific spices can still be found here.
Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Nicaraguan cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Nicaraguan dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Nicaraguan food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".
An interesting fact regarding the Nicaraguan festivals and celebrations is that besides the general and public holidays, there are many cities which celebrate independent festivals. Nicaragua even has a special day entitled Fiesta Day (Party Day), celebrated on the 1st of August. Christmas is a very important holiday and people in Nicaragua love to celebrate it with large family feasts. The Christmas menu includes rich meals, such as roasted Chicken, various salads and complex garnishes of potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage and the pio quinto cake with rum. On Christmas, the streets and churches are decorated and people can buy traditional foods in the streets, among gifts, toys and flowers.
Music:
Music of Nicaragua is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others that are common across Central America. Pop music includes Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican and Panamanian performers, as well as those from Europe and the United States.
Nicaraguans enjoy their local artist's music but also enjoy music from around the world. They enjoy the Dominican Republic's bachata and merengue, Jamaica's reggae, Panama's reggaeton and Colombia's Cumbia among other genres including pop. Among the younger crowds, heavy metal and rock have become very popular.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 63% Mestizo
* 14% White
* 10% Mulatto
* 8% Black
* 5% Amerindian
People:
The background of the Nicaraguan people as well as the Nicaraguan culture consists of an interesting ethnical and racial mixture. This has been like this since the pre-Columbian times in this region. Nowadays, you can encounter ‘Nicas’ with a brown, white, or black skin; with dark, light brown, green, or blue eyes; with fuzzy, wavy, or smooth hair, ranging in color from dark to light. During the month of October the Day of the Races is celebrated, and in this Special we will discuss the different races and ethnical groups that have existed and that nowadays exist in Nicaragua.
As an ethnical group the Nicaraguan population is considered to be ‘mestizo’, a mix between Spanish and indigenous people. The major part of the population belongs to this group. The Nicaraguans (also called Nicas) are mestizos, but this mix goes beyond the average definition, due to the fact that the territory has been inhibited by groups of people related to three of the four basic racial groups. According to research, the area was inhabited by Mongoloids, Negroids, and Caucasians.
Languages:
Spanish is the official language of Nicaragua. Nicaraguan Spanish stems from 16th century Andaluzian and Castillian Spanish with little to strong influences from Indigenous languages.
On the Caribbean coast, indigenous languages, English and Spanish are spoken. The Miskito language, spoken by the Miskito people as a first language and some other indigenous and Afro-descendants people as a second, third, or fourth language, is the most commonly spoken indigenous language. The indigenous Misumalpan languages of Mayangna and Ulwa are spoken by the respective peoples of the same names. Many Miskito, Mayangna, and Ulwa people also speak Miskito Coast Creole, and a large majority also speak Spanish. Fewer than three dozen of nearly 2,000 Rama people speak their Chibchan language fluently, with nearly all Ramas speaking Rama Cay Creole and the vast majority speaking Spanish. Linguists have attempted to document and revitalize the language over the past three decades. Nicaraguan Caribbean English originates largely from the English spoken in Southern Ireland and British English with some influences from Indigenous and West African languages. This makes their English very similar to that of Belizean English.
The Garifuna people, descendants of indigenous and Afro-descendant people who came to Nicaragua from Honduras in the early twentieth century, have recently attempted to revitalize their Arawakan language. The majority speak Miskito Coast Creole as their first language and Spanish as their second. The Creole or Kriol people, descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the Mosquito Coast during the British colonial period and European, Chinese, Arab, and British West Indian immigrants, also speak Miskito Coast Creole as their first language and Spanish as their second.
Religion:
Approximately 73% of Nicaraguans follow the Roman Catholic religion with about 15% attending evangelical churches. Around 2% are part of the Moravian Church and some 0.1 percent are joined to the Episcopal Church.
Economy:
Nicaragua's economy is focused primarily on the agricultural sector. It is the least developed country in Central America, and the second poorest in the Americas by nominal GDP. In recent years, under the administrations of Daniel Ortega, the Nicaraguan economy has increased dramatically, although it has also been subject to the global recession. The country's economy actually contracted by 1.5% in 2009, due to decreased export demand in the US and Central American markets, lower commodity prices for key agricultural exports, and low remittance growth, but saw 4.5% growth in 2010 thanks to a recovery in export demand and growth in its tourism industry. Nicaragua's economy continues to post growth, with preliminary indicators showing the Nicaraguan economy growing an additional 5% in 2011. Consumer Price inflation have also curtailed since 2008, when Nicaragua's inflation rate hovered at 19.82%. In 2009 and 2010, the country posted lower inflation rates, 3.68% and 5.45%, respectively. About 68% of Nicaraguans suffer from poverty.
Sports:
Baseball is the most popular sport in Nicaragua. Although some professional Nicaraguan baseball teams have recently folded, the country still enjoys a strong tradition of American-style baseball.
Videos: