Fiambre

Fiambre is a beloved traditional Guatemalan salad, especially popular during Day of the Dead and All Saints Day celebrations. Served chilled, this unique dish is a colorful medley of diverse ingredients. Its roots trace back to the Guatemalan custom of bringing the favorite foods of deceased family members to their gravesites on the Day of the Dead. Over time, these offerings were combined into what we now recognize as fiambre.

The salad can include a wide variety of ingredients such as sausages, cold cuts, pickled baby corn and onions, beets, pacaya flower, various cheeses, olives, chicken, and sometimes even Brussels sprouts. However, the exact recipe can differ greatly from one family to another, with each family passing down their own special version through the generations.

On the Day of the Dead, it's a common tradition to share fiambre with friends and relatives. Several variations of this dish exist, each offering its own unique twist. For instance, there's Antigua fiambre, fiambre rojo (which includes beets), fiambre blanco (without beets), fiambre desarmado (a traditional version from the department of Jalapa), and fiambre verde (a vegetarian version without cold cuts).

Each variant brings something special to the table, making fiambre a versatile and cherished part of Guatemala's culinary heritage.