Chilacayote en dulce, or en miel, is one of Guatemala’s traditional sweets: pieces of chilacayote rested in lime water and slowly cooked with panela and cinnamon until syrupy.
It’s eaten above all during Holy Week.
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Guatemalan Shredded Squash in Panela Syrup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients
- 1 chilacayote (fig-leaf gourd)
- ½ cup of cal (food-grade lime)
- 2 liters of water (1 for the lime, 1 for cooking)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Panela, to taste
Preparation
- Cut the chilacayote, wash it and cut it into medium pieces; you can peel it or leave the skin on.
- Soak in lime water, mix one liter of water well with the cal, add the chilacayote pieces, and let them rest for 2 hours. Then rinse them carefully.
- Cook in panela, put the other liter of water, the cinnamon, panela to taste, and the chilacayote in a pot and simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, until the water is absorbed and a syrup remains.
- Serve, let it cool and serve.
Tips
- The lime-water soak helps the pieces keep their shape.
- Rinse the chilacayote well after the lime water.
- Use panela for a dark sweet; with sugar it stays lighter.
Traditional variations
- It can be made with or without the skin; with sugar instead of panela it’s lighter in color.
How to serve
Serve the chilacayote cold or at room temperature, with its syrup, alongside coffee.
Recommended pairings
- Coffee
- Sweet bread
Did you know?
Chilacayote is a squash native to the highlands of Chiapas and northwestern Guatemala.
Frequently Asked Questions
The pieces rest for 2 hours in lime water before cooking, which helps them keep their shape.
3 to 4 hours over low heat, until the water is absorbed and a syrup remains.
Panela to taste, which gives it its dark color; sugar can also be used.
