The new issue of PerceptiveTravel.com includes a piece on Nicaragua by The Omnivorous Traveler himself, Darrin DuFord.
In “Subdued by Street Vendors: A gastronomic exploration of Nicaragua’s post-war highlands reveals renewed talent for suckling and a stubborn joie de vivre,” DuFord samples three of Nicaragua’s most alluring, memorable qualities: public buses, Matagalpa mountains, and savory street food. Not only does DuFord offer evocative scenes and details—and flavors—from the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, he puts things in context as well. He writes,
“Matagalpa inhales and exhales food. It’s a playground for provisions. Such a reality seems contradictory in light of the country’s economy having been ravaged by wars, hurricanes, and presidents pocketing international relief money. Yet none of those gruesome setbacks prevent farmers from bringing down produce from the surrounding mountainsides and making a living.”
and
“…I climbed into the bus that would take me back to the capital. Vendors entered with baskets of water boobs and buttery cheese cookies called rosquillas. Bustle as usual. I realized that in Matagalpa, the people did not allow their war-torn past to hold the present hostage. I never discovered where the aggression went.”
