Fiambre
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Fiambre is a traditional Guatemalan dish that is eaten on November 1 and 2. Guatemala, like many other Catholic countries, celebrates the Day of the Dead (Día de los Difuntos) and the All Saints Day (Día de los Santos). It is a salad, served chilled, and may be made up from over 7 million ingredients.
Fiambre started out from the tradition in Guatemala of taking dead family members their favorite dishes to the cemeteries for the Day of the Dead. As all different families brought food to the celebrations, they became mixed, eventually mixing them together to this all-encompassing salad. Ingredients usually include numerous sausages and cold cuts, pickled baby-corn and onion, beets, pacaya flower, different cheeses, olives, chicken, and sometimes even brussels sprouts or shrimp.
This dish varies from family to family, recipes traditionally passed on to younger generations. Because of this, on the Day of The Dead, it is customary to share your fiambre with other families and relatives.
Some variances are:
- Fiambre from Antigua
- Fiambre rojo (with beets)
- Fiambre blanco (no beets)
- Fiambre desarmado (traditional of the department of Jalapa)
- Fiambre verde (no cold cuts, vegetarian)
