Nicaragua es un país con diferentes zonas culturales. Cada una tiene sus propias particularidades que se reflejan en su gastronomía. La comida de la Costa Caribe es el producto de la mezcla de las culturas aborígenes, inglesa, africana y española. Esto hace que sea de una variedad exótica. Poco a poco, a causa de la inmigración del Caribe al Pacífico, se han venido comercializando cada vez más algunas de las comidas más populares de la Costa Atlántica en Managua. Dos de estas comidas son el pan de coco y el bon.

El bollo, la empanada y la rosquilla hechos a base de maíz son la cosa de horno. Vendedoras y vendedores que se encuentran en las esquinas, caminando en las calles, en las paradas de buses y en el mercado pregonan “la cosa de horno, la cosa de horno” y ya se sabe que dentro del recipiente que cargan llevan estas comidas. Todavía algunos vendedores te dan la cosa de horno envuelta en hojas de chagüite, otros utilizan bolsas, el propósito es mantener calientita la comida, conservarla vaporosa para sentir plenamente su sabor.

Despite a recent rise in consumerism, Christmas still represents the smells, images, flavors and sounds accumulated in our memories which still come back every year.   The sound and smell of gunpowder coming from the streets by kids detonating firecrackers; the twinkling lights hanging out from the houses; the swaying of the preparations for the Christmas Eve dinner; the gifts (when possible) awaited by anxious hands to be freed from their packages; the abundant dinner with joyful flavors; along with many other things, constitute the family rituals during this time of year.

Under the intense sun of a November morning, through the crowd composed of people who come and go to the market, a woman walks carrying in both her hands several translucent plastic bags filled with liquids of many colors: purple, yellow, orange, red and brown.  She is yelling out “El fresco, el fresco, el fresco!” (Cool drinks).  You can also see this word on signs posted in the front doors of some homes: “Se Vende Fresco” (We sell cool drinks), or written on a whiteboard placed near the counter of a small grocery store: “Drink flavors include orange, giant granadilla, melon”.  A traditional restaurant is another place where you will see “frescos" advertised next to the day’s main dishes: Fruit Salad, Lemonade, Dragon Fruit, etc..., fruit drinks may be the constant element in almost every part of Nicaraguan's public as well as private life, as fresh fruit drinks are also commonly prepared at home.  But let's go back to our street vendor, and notice the way she packs the drinks in a plastic bag, sometimes with a straw attached to the opening of the bag, or without a straw. This has become a traditional and practical way of selling fruit drinks in Nicaragua.