This past week was Semana Santa. It was quite an enlightening experience to be in a Catholic country during this holiday...where no one has school, no one eats meat (unless they are pagans like me), and the most shocking...there are no Easter bunnies or Cadbury eggs...!?!?
The real star of Semana Santa is La Fanesca. A squash based stew containing 12 grains to honor the 12 disciples...corn, peas, green beans, fava beans, lima beans, red beans, white beans, mellocos, chochos...I´m missing three, but I´m guessing they are just three more types of beans. Then usually some tiny flower balls, avocados, sliced plantains, hard boiled eggs and cheese are thrown in the mix. And of course, most variations are made with some type of fish as well.
Fanesca is delicious. Incredible in fact...for the first 4 or 5 spoon fulls. Then you start to feel heavy, bloated, and ready for nap time. But in an attempt to be respectful you power through it and, at least in my case, suffer through poisonous gas for the rest of the week. And as if one bowl of it wasn’t enough, it’s usually followed by a plate of mashed potatoes, tomatoes, more avocado, and more cheese. Then, a bowl of warm rice and raisin milk for desert. Now I know how to eat...but made it absolutely no where near the rice milk. On more than one occasion, sweating profusely, I removed myself from the table...to sit alone...keeled over until the pain passed. Have you ever felt really full? Its nothing compared to Fanesca full. I ate it four times overall throughout the week. I imagine it will take another one to two weeks for my stomach to forgive me. And thankfully, Fanesca only comes around during Semana Santa.
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