What to do in Havana: Bars, Balconies and Views
El Escuadrón Hopped to Havana Bars, Balconies and Views! On my last day in Cuba I pulled together a squad (el escuadrón as we called it), including a new NYC friend who went to Cuba with a tour and had a free day, and a few Cuban friends, one I had met at a wifi park...
Spanish Cured Meat: Jamon Iberico de Bellota
As it melted in my mouth, I melted in my chair. With my first bite of Jamon Iberico de Bellota (with accents, it’s Jamón Ibérico de Bellota) only a few years ago, it fell squarely on top of the leader board as my favorite Spanish cured meat. The meat is dark red...
What are Pupusas and How to Make Pupusas
Stuffed Corn-Masa Cakes El Salvador is synonymous with pupusas, the lightly-charred, corn-masa cakes filled with soft, savory ingredients. In appearance, they’re similar to the Mexican gordita, the Venezuelan arape and the Guatemalan doblado. With the exception...
What is Nixtamalization?: Masa Harina Corn Flour
What is Nixtamalization? I wasn’t familiar with the term until I became curious about pupusas and wondered how the corn differed from the tortillas and tamales of Mexico and Central America. It doesn’t. They’re made with masa harina corn flour or...
How to Drink Yerba Mate: Uruguay and Argentina
What is Mate, Maté and Yerba Mate in Uruguay and Argentina? Mate and maté are a difference in language. In English, maté has an accent mark to signal it’s a foreign word and has two syllables in its pronunciation. This distinguishes it from the one-syllable...Behind the Latin Atlas Culture and Travel Blog
My love for Latin-based cultures, languages and travel inspired the name, Latin Atlas. These are countries heavily influenced by Roman culture and whose countrymen speak Romance languages such as Latin American and Latin-based Europe. The Latin Atlas blog focuses on the countries in which I’ve visited and have particular fascination. These include most of the Spanish-speaking countries of the world and Brazil, France, Italy and Portugal. My languages of interest include French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.