I'm taking gofio to the US of A!

 

This is the story of me making gofio, my favorite Nicaragua treat to take home with me for the holidays. My neighbor Carolina supplied the know-how, but I did the work.

1. Carolina came home in the middle of the day to make the “miel”, honey. She started a fire and put a big pot of water on to boil. She threw in a couple of handfuls of anise seeds. She let it boil until the water turned a rich yellow then she added four big bricks of sugar cane.
   
2. I stirred the pot until the sugar cane dissolved and we had a dark brown, flavorful syrup. Diego and Franchelle kept me company. Carolina went back to work. She left the pot on. The fire would die down and the syrup would cool so it would be ready to use in the evening.
   
3. We started again about six that night. The other ingredient of gofio is pinol, a flour formed by grinding roasted corn, cacao, and vanilla together. Following Carolina’s directions I formed the pinol into a volcano shape and filled the crater with syrup. (OK, so it’s a lousy picture. This is an important step and it’s the best one I had.) Pinol is such an important part of the culture that Nicaraguans call themselves pinoleros.
4. I mixed the syrup and pinol together until it was moist throughout, about the consistency of pie dough, and then formed it into a ball.
   
5. I patted it out until it was a big pancake about a half-inch thick. This was damn hard work I gotta say.
   
6. I started cutting the gofio into the traditional diamond shapes. Michelle was swiping the trimmings and popping them in her mouth.
   
7. Francisco, who never does anything in the kitchen, decided I didn’t have the shape quite right. He stepped in to straighten me out. I tried to Tom Sawyer him into doing the rest but he wasn’t buying it.
   
8. Almost done. Michel is watching me and watching for an opportunity to swipe more trimmings.
   
9. I take a break to dance with Doña Mercedes. Carolina threatens to show the picture to Juan Jose, her grandfather and Doña Mercedes husband for 61 years. I ask if he has a pistol and they say, “Como no!”
   
10. All done and it looks and tastes right.