English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, fritanga refers to a restaurant that makes home-style Nicaraguan foods. The

staple foods A staple food, food staple, or simply staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for an individual or a population group, supplying a large fraction of energy needs an ...

at a fritanga may include

gallo pinto or is a traditional rice and bean dish from Central America. Consisting of rice and beans as a base, gallo pinto is important to both Nicaragua and Costa Rica, both of which consider it a national dish. The beans in gallo pinto are cooked ...

(

rice and beans Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many ...

arroz blanco White rice is milled rice that has had the husk, bran, and germ removed. This alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the seed; helps prevent spoilage (extends its storage life); and makes it easier to digest. After brown rice is milled (hu ...

(white rice),

carne asada Carne asada is grilled and sliced beef, usually skirt steak, flap steak, or flank steak though chuck steak (known as ''diezmillo'' in Spanish) can also be used. It is usually marinated then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor. Car ...

(grilled meat), tajada frita (fried sliced green plantain), platano frito (fried ripe plantain), maduros (sweet plantain),

yuca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennia ...

, queso frito (fried cheese),

tortilla A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread from Mesoamerica originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indi ...

and cabbage salad. Fritangas also carry daily specials such as salpicón, carne desmenuzada (shredded beef), and

enchilada An enchilada (, ) is a Mexican cuisine, Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, ...

s, as well as speciality drinks and desserts/pastries. Fritangas have a cafeteria (comideria) style of ordering and the food can be taken out or consumed at the establishment. In

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, fritanga does not refer to Nicaraguan restaurants, but to fried food in general, or a set of fried foods. The Colombian fritanga, for example, combines different typical components such as

morcilla A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the ...

(blood sausage),

chorizo ''Chorizo'' ( , ; ; see #Names, below) is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite differe ...

(sausage),

chicharrón (, plural ; ; ; ) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef. Name , as a dish with sauces, or as finger-food snacks, are popular in Andalusia and Canarias in ...

(pork belly), longaniza, chunchullo, maduros (plantains), papa criolla (small yellow potatoes), and arepas. Unlike ''frituras'' or ''fritos'' (same meaning), the term ''fritanga'' can have a

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

sense, as it is an excessively greasy food, with too much oil or unhealthy. In lore refers to establishments that use high performance frying oil, instead of virgin olive or sunflower seed oil, since it is regarded as much lower quality. Also the repeated use of the same oil, heating/cooling cycles, and the frying of different products in the same oil instead of each for one contributes to the factor. The repeated ingestion of fritanga can lead to transitory gastritis.

References

External links

Picture of Colombian Fritanga

Fritanga recipe, from "My Colombian Recipes"
Nicaraguan cuisine {{Nicaragua-stub