Every Lent Catholic Relief Services organizes a "Rice Bowl" campaign to help people pray, fast and give during the season. They offer recipes for simple meals from around the world for Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays. Besides just offering a dinner suggestion, they provide stories of hope from these countries to spread awareness and build solidarity. Every week focuses on a different country and every year is a new group of places. For 2015, they decided to spotlight Nicaragua for the 2nd Week of Lent. The featured meal is Gallo Pinto and they profile a coffee farmer. I was surprised to see that Nicaragua was selected this year, not because I was unaware of the poverty but I was surprised too see it even get attention.
Honestly, I didn't know what to feel with Nicaragua's inclusion. I was mixed with emotion. Should I be happy to have it the spotlight? Sad that it ranks among the poor? Frustrated at potential stereotyping? Annoyed with the white-savior-missionary complex? When I watched the video on how to make Gallo Pinto I was shocked at how terrible it was. The recipe was so wrong it made me lose faith in CRS. I could no longer trust the legitimacy of anything they posted about another country. I shared the video on Facebook so my cousins could react with same indignation over the botched dish. I knew I had to cook it myself the right way to rectify it personally.
Although I've eaten it many times, I've only attempted to prepare it myself once before. I don't remember much from my first try. In this attempt I wanted to be as authentic as possible. I got some queso fresco, crema and plátanos maduros to complete this Nica dish. I wanted to properly represent.
Sometimes I feel that Nicaragua is most forgotten country in Central America. First of all, people tend to skip the overall area for South America instead, but when they do think about the region they think of the neighboring countries. El Salvador, Guatemala & Costa Rica definitely get more attention. For example, when visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with my family, we visited the exhibit on the Art of the Americas. They had a beautiful collection of indigenous art. Unfortunately, upon the wall where they had a map of America with dots corresponding to the various peoples around the land, they left Nicaragua blank. Apparently there is no art from Nicaragua or any people from that area? It was disappointing.
What is also annoying is when I go to the latin markets which should be more diverse they also lack in stocking foods from Nicaragua. I can go to Vallarta and buy cheese from El Salvador or Honduras, but no Nicaragua. I usually settle for something generically central american. That's the norm. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find for the first time Nicaraguan red beans!
I was so excited I could have taken a selfie right then and there in the middle of the aisle celebrating the triumphant finding. Since I started writing this blog I've been to Vallarta again and this time found some Nicaraguan cheese. The front side was labeled "Central American" but the fine print on the back said it was from Nicaragua. Getting closer! It's great to find little glimpses of Nicaragua. I need to do my part to shed a positive spotlight on this land and its people. One day I wore a Nicaraguan dress to church and received a compliment on it. When I told the person where it was from she had never heard of the country! I was so shocked that my mother's land could be so invisible that others don't know of its existence. At least my outfit began the conversation. If the museums and the markets don't make an effort to give Nicaragua attention, I must do my part. If I take the time to remember my family, I know I can at least build the presence of Nicaragua to those around me.
