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Fava Beans

At the turn of the century Guatemala had several work camps of The Champerico and Northern Transportation Company of Guatemala. The companies recruited workers to build a deep water port at the port of Champerico and a railroad that would connect the port to the municipal capital of Retalhuleu. I traveled there from the United States both terrified and thrilled to do archival research in mid 1990s. I landed at Guatemala City airport and then took a taxi to the bus depot in zone 1 in the city. The place was bustling. Somehow I found my way and boarded a tricked out bus for a 6 hour no conditioned trip to Retalhuleu. The bus driver blasted narcocorridos on the sound system the entire way. The route we traveled divided small towns and villages. At busy intersections one saw street venders selling fruit, juices, sodas, and nuts to pedestrians and bus passengers. Roasted and salted fava beans became one of my favorite street snacks in Mexico and Guatemala. People in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, except for most North American have been enjoying this snack for hundreds of years.

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Food and Field Work in Guatemala

Vegetarian Heaven