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August • 2023
Tasting the Flavors of Guatemala: Chef Mirciny Moliviatis’ Quest to Rediscover Her Roots ABUELITA CHAVE’S TAMALES RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF MISHA
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •
CHEF MIRCINY MOLIVIATIS © ANDRES AMAYA
RAYE MOCIOIU
Chef Mirciny "Misha" Moliviatis says that food always has a story. Born and raised in Guatemala, Moliviatis grew up in a food-loving family of restauranteurs, with 28 years of experience running 10 restaurants around the country. While Moliviatis and her siblings grew up surrounded by food, even working at one of her father's restaurants, her journey to become one of Guatemala’s most famous chefs didn’t start until she began working at elBulli, a restaurant in Spain—a feat in itself, as there were over 5,000 applicants at the time. Studying under experienced and well-known chefs like Ferran Adria, Moliviatis recalled that the days were grueling—she was one woman among a class of 49 men, and all 50 of them were on a mission to achieve perfection. Still, those days taught her invaluable lessons about hard work, discipline, and, most importantly, that the role of a chef spans far beyond the kitchen. During this time, Moliviatis made another discovery: even though she had grown up in Guatemala, she didn’t know much about the country’s cuisine. She shared that even when she returned home to Guatemala after school, she infused her cooking with techniques she had learned in Spain, seeking out flavors and ingredients from around the world. It was only when she realized that the flavors she sought could be found in her local markets that her mission became clear. Enamored with the abundance of flavors that were available in her country, she understood that just as she was unaware of how much there was to discover about Guatemalan food, others would be as well. Even as she researched, there was little information to be found—and so she took it into her own hands. “A friend and I started a TV
show that was called El Sabor de mi Tierra [The Taste of My Land] and started traveling around the country,” Moliviatis explained. “We didn’t have a script or a plan; we just traveled. It was so much fun. We sought out the ‘real cooks’ of Guatemala and learned their techniques, how they worked the land, how they used their tools to create food.” As Moliviatis explored flavors and dishes she’d never tried before, she understood that many of them were from Mayan times—traditional dishes passed down through many generations. “Food tells you a story. Behind each dish or each ingredient, there is a story of ancestral cuisine that is still alive and latent, culinary techniques that continue to be used after thousands of years since creation,” she shared. “In Guatemala, we come from an ancient civilization, the Maya, and we have so much history and culture infused into our food. When people think of Latin America, they think of Mexico and South America, but Central America is amazing. We’re small countries, but we have a lot to share.” Moliviatis realized that she had the power to amplify the voices of Guatemalan people and was able to share the beauty of Guatemala through food. Through her shows, Puro Chef and Desafío Culinario, and her award-winning book, Viviendo la Receta Guatemala, Moliviatis achieved this mission, making a name for herself as a talented and creative chef while making the beauty and flavors of Guatemala known. Moliviatis was appointed the Ambassador of Guatemalan Gastronomic Culture, a role that she has embraced wholeheartedly. “Food is one of the best expressions of culture that a country has, and the best teachers are the people in the field,” she said.
1 ½ pounds of ripe tomatoes 2 chili peppers 1 chili guaque 1 chili raisins 2 oz of sesame seeds 2 oz of pepitoria (pumpkin seed or squash) 1 small stick of cinnamon 2 cloves 1 oz allspice 1 oz of lard Annatto Salt
Dough: • 1 ½ pound corn dough • 6 oz of rice • 8 oz of pig butter • Salt Leaves and Toppings: • 1 case of banana leaves • 2 cases of maxán leaves or salt leaves • 1 bunch of cibaque • 3 chili peppers to be roasted • 4 ounces pitted olives • 4 ounces capers • 2 pounds pork or chicken
Directions
1 Cook the tomatoes, chili pep2
3 4
pers, chili guaque peppers, and raisins in water. On a skillet, brown the sesame seeds, pepitoria, and cinnamon; blend with the cooked chili mixture after they are browned. Strain and boil for 20 minutes, adding an ounce of lard during this time. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Dough: 1 Cook the rice. Blend it and set it aside. 2 Dissolve the corn dough in half a liter of water and blend. 3 B ring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add the blended dough, and stir constantly. When the mass thickens, add the cooked and blended rice. 4 If it gets too thick, add hot water little by little. Continue beating, and when it has boiled long enough, remove from the heat, add the lard, and beat until the lard disappears and
is incorporated, and the dough becomes shiny. Tamales: 1 Cut the maxán leaves by the thickest part, wash well. Banana leaves are cut into 9 inch squares. Wash and cook in water for 10 minutes. 2 The chili peppers are roasted, peeled, split, deveined, and the seeds removed. Cut into strips and set aside. 3 Put a banana leaf square on a maxán, diagonally. Add a portion of dough to the center, add meat, olives, capers, and chili pepper strips. The leaves are folded and closed to form a package and tied with cibaque strips, previously soaked to soften. 4 Put the leftover leaves in a large pot, add 4 cups of water, and bring to a boil. The tamales are placed in the pot on top of the leaves. Cover the pot with more leaves and a lid. Boil for about an hour and a half. Serve with lemon wedges.
© THE BUZZ AGENCY
Pioneers of Change: The MAIA Impact School's Holistic Approach to Education RAYE MOCIOIU
In Guatemala, one in 10 girls will graduate from high school. This harrowing statistic is a symptom of a larger issue: schools in the country are inadequately funded, leading to severe gender educational inequalities. But one organization in Guatemala is making a difference. The MAIA Impact School is the first secondary school in Central America that is designed to empower young Indigenous women through a holistic education model. The students are called “Girl Pioneers,” indicative of them being the first in their families to pursue continued education. Moreover, through the connections the Girl Pioneers make at the MAIA Impact School, they can pursue opportunities that will help them break the cycle
© COURTESY OF MAIA IMPACT
of generational poverty— pioneers, indeed. The school is the principal program of the MAIA Foundation, an organization led by Indigenous women for Indigenous women. The poverty rate amongst Indigenous women in Guatemala stands at 66 percent, with only 20 percent graduating from high school, less than one percent continuing their education at a post-secondary institution, and nearly 57 percent becoming mothers by age 20. MAIA seeks to give Indigenous women a chance to take control of their futures and build a better life for themselves and their families. Since 2017, the organization has been spearheaded by women. Martha Lidia Oxí, Co-executive Director of External Relations at MAIA, shared that one of the focuses—and wins—of the organization is
local leadership. Who better, after all, to make a difference in communities than the community members themselves? MAIA’s mission is to provide a better education for Indigenous girls, with mentorship, support, and a holistic approach to learning that involves parents and students. The organization works with communities that do not have access to secondary schools, and without MAIA, many of these girls would not have the opportunity to continue their education. The school started with a focus on providing and improving education in areas where it was underdeveloped. Since then, MAIA has evolved to offer many classes and programs that allow girls to choose their paths. What makes MAIA unique is that their programming goes beyond teaching the students: the families are involved in every
aspect of schooling. Students are committed to the program for six years, and parents also commit to supporting their child throughout the program and attending regular meetings throughout the process. This is significant because it allows parents to learn alongside their daughters and, more importantly, understand how best to support their children through schooling. On top of that, MAIA's holistic approach to education includes more than just academics. The organization takes a vocal empowerment approach, fighting against discrimination issues in Guatemala and empowering girls to speak up, become comfortable using their voices, and learn to stand up for themselves. Leadership, economic independence, and work skills are also part of the curriculum, focusing on empowering girls to make positive changes in their lives and communities.
Often, these positive changes extend beyond the walls of the classroom. In a country with so much biodiversity and nature, the students feel connected to the world around them. MAIA promotes organic gardening, nutrition, and reforestation, encouraging students to further connect with their environment and seek ways to improve it. Already, MAIA has achieved a 94 percent retention rate for 18-yearolds from the Impact School, compared to a national dropout rate of 64 percent. By focusing on lifelong learning and autonomy for graduates, including access to jobs and a living wage, MAIA's impact goes far beyond education, empowering Indigenous girls to make positive changes in their own lives and communities. As the future of Guatemala, the girls at MAIA will continue making positive changes and inspiring others in their community.