Traditional Honduran food: What to eat in Honduras?

If you are a true foodie and you are organizing a trip to Honduras, surely one of your first concerns is to know what are the typical dishes so you can try them all. Honduran food is very diverse and is influenced by its rich history and geography. Corn is one of its main ingredients, which is used to make tortillas, tamales, atoles and other dishes.

In this post we will tell you about the main typical dishes of Honduras so you can take notes and don’t forget to try any of them on your trip. In addition, we offer other interesting tips that will help you organize your travel itinerary. Read on!

What are the typical dishes of Honduras?

1. Baleadas, one of the most typical dishes of Honduras

Baleadas is one of the most typical dishes of Honduras. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla filled with refried beans, butter and grated cheese. Sometimes sour cream, avocado and beef or chicken are added. This dish is inexpensive and very popular and can be found throughout the country, especially in street food stands. Baleadas can be eaten at any time of the day and can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a simple but delicious dish, which has become a symbol of Honduran food. We recommend you try it, but be careful with street stalls.

2. Tapado olanchano

Tapado Olanchano is one of the typical dishes of Olanchito, a city in northern Honduras, very close to the coast. It is made with seafood, coconut milk, ripe plantains, cassava and other vegetables. Seafood such as shrimp, shells and octopus are cooked with onion, garlic, tomato and spices, then coconut milk is added and left to simmer, resulting in a dish full of flavor. Ripe plantains and yucca are cut into pieces and added to the mixture and served piping hot. It is a very tasty dish, worthy of Honduran culture, rich in flavor and consistency, combining the sweetness of the coconut with the salty flavor of the seafood. A real delicacy!

3. Sopa de Caracol, one of the most delicious typical dishes of Honduras

Snail soup is one of the most popular and delicious typical dishes of the gastronomy of Honduras. Although it may not be suitable for everyone because of its peculiar flavor and the texture of the snails, we recommend you try it on your trip to Honduras. Honduran snail soup consists of sea snails, coconut milk, yucca, onion, cilantro, garlic and spices. The snails are slowly cooked in salted water, cleaned and cut into pieces and then coconut milk, yucca, onion, garlic and spices are added and everything is simmered. Finally, they serve it hot with a portion of rice and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Snail soup is a rich and flavorful dish that reflects the influence of the Caribbean culture in the gastronomy of Honduras.

4. Nacatamales: Honduran food

Nacatamales are one of the typical dishes of Central American cuisine, very popular in Honduras and other countries like Nicaragua. They consist of a corn dough stuffed with pork, chicken or beef, potatoes, rice, chilies, tomatoes and spices. The dough is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for several hours, leaving a tender and delicious interior. They usually serve Nacatamales with rice and beans and have a soft texture and a strong, delicious flavor due to the spices and meat filling. As is the case with baleadas, they can be very commonly found in street food stalls, as well as in typical food restaurants.

5. Atol de elote, the typical drink of Honduran food

El atol de elote is a traditional Honduran drink, made from elote (tender corn). And it’s a real treat that you have to try on your trip to this beautiful country. In addition to corn, it has: milk, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and sometimes vanilla. To make it, the corn is cooked with water and mashed until it forms a smooth paste, then the milk and spices are added, and it is simmered until the drink thickens. Finally, it is served hot and can be accompanied with sweet bread. Atol de elote has a sweet and creamy flavor, with notes of cinnamon and vanilla that make it a comforting and delicious dessert. It is a typical dish during the Christmas holidays and special celebrations.

6. Yuca con chicharrón is typical Honduran food

Yuca con chicharrón is another typical Honduran dish that you can’t miss on your trip for its delicious flavor and consistency. It consists of boiled and fried cassava that is accompanied by pork cracklings. The yucca is cut into pieces and boiled until tender, then fried in hot oil to give it a crunchy texture on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicharrones, fried pork chunks, are served with the yucca when they are well browned and crispy. This dish is usually served with a spicy tomato, chili and onion dressing, known as “chimol”, also very popular in other dishes such as baleadas. Yucca with chicharron is a very tasty dish and, although hearty, as a starter on menus.

Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.

What should I know before a trip to Honduras

• The official currency of Honduras is the Lempira.
• Always carry cash on you, not all stores and restaurants accept credit cards.
• Depending on where you travel in Honduras, water may not be safe to drink. Ask your accommodation about the safety of the water.
• Although many of Honduras’ typical dishes are common throughout the country, each region has its own. Ask your accommodations for help on restaurants where to try the best local cuisine.
• Avoid eating at street stalls and preferably drink bottled water.
• Beware of possible food intolerances, not all restaurants have a menu of allergens.
• Many Honduran dishes can be quite spicy, such as chiles rellenos and pollo con tajadas. If you are sensitive to spicy food, ask for advice at the restaurant before ordering your meal.
• Hedge against medical unforeseen events: travel insured.

How to organize a trip to Honduras

Register or download the Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.

• Get inspired by the experiences of other travelers.
• Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions into it.
• Add the stops you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest we indicate in this post as a reference).
• Organize your itinerary by route days according to their location on the map (you can be inspired by the routes we present in the post).
• Check out the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
• Make any modifications you need and you’ll be all set for your trip.
• Share your experience. Upload photos of the places you’ve visited on your trip to the app and recommend to other travelers the typical Honduran food and dishes you’ve eaten on your trip.

If you have doubts about how to do it, you can check our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.

Frequently asked questions about a trip to Honduras