Nacatamal

Nicaraguan Nacatamales are Nicaraguan style tamale. It also has rice, meat, potato, tomato, and usually some prunes, green olive, capers and raisins. It is much more like a complete meal in a nice package. They are different than a Mexican style  tamale or tamales of other Latin American countries.

A nacatamal is made up of mostly nixtamalized corn masa (a kind of dough traditionally made from a process called nizquezar) and lard, but includes seasonings such as salt and achiote (annatto). This combination is traditionally cooked in a large batch over a wood fire. The result becomes the base for the nacatamal and it is also referred to as masa. This base is ladled onto plantain or banana leaves used for wrapping into large individual portions with filling.

The filling usually consists of annatto-seasoned pork meat, rice, slices of potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions; olives, spearmint sprigs, and chile congo, a very small, egg-shaped chile found in Nicaragua.

The preparation of Nicaraguan nacatamales are time consuming to make like all tamales are.