Baleada
A baleada (Spanish pronunciation: [baleada]) is a traditional Central American dish, believed to have originated on the northern coast of Honduras. It is composed of a flour tortilla, filled with a smear of mashed "refried" red beans (a variety of bean native to Central and South America), crema (mantequilla blanca), and crumbled queso duro (salty hard cheese). This is usually called baleada sencilla (simple baleada). Another common variety of baleada is the baleada mixta (mixed baleada) which is baleada sencilla with the addition of scrambled eggs. Many other people add sausage, plantain, hot sauce, avocado, chicken, pork and chimol which is diced tomato, onion and bell pepper. The big Honduran towns often have more than one restaurant that sells baleadas.
 A baleada, as it is usually served | |
| Type | Tortilla |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Honduras |
| Serving temperature | always warm |
| Main ingredients | Wheat flour, fried beans and crumbled cheese |
Types of baleada
There are different kinds of baleada according to the ingredients chosen by the customer or the region of Honduras.
- Simple baleadas (refried red beans, cream/crema, cheese)
- Special baleadas (refried red beans, cream/crema, cheese, scrambled eggs)
- Super special baleadas (refried red beans, cream/crema, cheese, scrambled eggs, chicken, ground meat or sausage)
In the region of Olancho and Cojutepeque the special baleada is served with all of the above and "carne asada" (grilled meat).
The Bay Island of Utila, off the coast of La Ceiba, adds pickled onions and creole (criollo) cheese to the beans.
In popular culture
In the Honduran movie Amor y Frijoles, the protagonist is a woman who cooks baleadas for a living.
In 2017, Chef Gordon Ramsay visited Honduras. He ate baleadas while there and said that baleadas are the best Latin American cuisine item.[1]
References
- "Gordon Ramsay declara a la baleada como el mejor platillo latinoamericano". Latribuna.hn. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.