Fiambre, A General Insight

Fiambre is a special salad that originates in Guatemala. Like many other latin american countries, Guatemala has a Roman Catholic majority. Therefore, holidays like the Day Of The Dead are observed there. Fiambre originally started out as a wide range of dishes, brought to the graves of deceased family members during the Day Of The Dead. It was usually the favourite dishes enjoyed by loved ones before they passed on. And so it went on, many families bringing different dishes for their loved ones until the dishes started mixing (probably due to space constraints, a grave is not exactly big). From this constant mixing of dishes (sounds horrible), a salad was slowly created to encompass a range of food that family members liked to eat before they passed on.

Before the Day Of The Dead (1st November), most families in Guatemala will gather to prepare this dish. Each member usually helps to cook or chop different ingredients as it will be almost impossible for one person to prepare the entire dish alone. Fiambre is then consumed for the next two days (All Saints Day comes after the Day Of The Dead) In many cases, it is shared with family and friends celebrating in the same area.

Since this meal is consumed for a period of two days, it is very difficult to serve it hot. Fiambre is almost always served cold. While the ingredients can vary from family to family, it usually includes numerous sausages and cold cuts, cured meats, pickled baby-corn and onions, beets, pacaya flower, assorted cheeses, olives, chicken, and prawns.

Pickled vegetables, such as baby corn, olives, and cucumbers, are a common addition to the salad. Almost any vegetable can be included, and all of the ingredients are usually chopped into bite-sized pieces. Fiambre may be dressed as a whole, usually with different spices or a dressing made from vinegar and mustard. Each ingredient may also be dressed separately, thereby providing more depth to the dish.

Because it is a very personal thing, the ingredients for each Fiambre vary greatly from family to family, with each family traditinally passing its own recipe to the younger generation. There are many different types of Fiambre but they have been sub divided into a few categories. They are:

• Fiambre Rojo (literally meaning red Fiambre, it is given this name as it is prepared with beets as an ingredient)
• Fiambre Blanco (literally meaning white Fiambre, as no beets are used)
• Fiambre Desarmado (deconstructed Fiambre, which originates in Jalapa. A region in south-east Guatemala)
• Fiambre Verde (Green Fiambre. Solely vegetarian and usually comprises of fruits, vegetables, lentils and beans)