Introducing The Lady Tastes Antigua Guatemala

As a traveling couple, or more generally as human beings with a pulse, we have been unrestrained in establishing our love of sugary treats. Wherever we go, our eyes are busy taking in not only the new landscapes but also the untried chocolates, sweets and pastries which may come our way. This does not mean we indulge in the thousands upon millions of heavily processed snacks available at every corner of our world, which are usually made of anything but what it says on the plastic wrapper. No, our sugary search is much more specific than that.

One could argue our love of delicate pastries first began in the convent. As children of the Mediterranean, we grew up tasting and craving ancient recipes, first created inside the hallowed walls of Catholic convents. Centuries ago, the mainstays of egg and sugar were enriched by the arrival of fresh spices from distant lands, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. New ingredients were promptly whisked away by reclusive nuns, who lost no time in designing increasingly devilish treats, bursting with sweetness and color.

We were then lucky to have been brought up with a taste of the divine. Our taste buds took us to summer fairs and decrepit bakeries, later transformed into modern temples to the gods of gluttony, to whom we never failed to worship.

If food is culture (which it definitely is), then traditional treats are that side of culture which robs you of your preconceptions and throws you into a sweet sea change, from which you will rise with a new understanding of a place’s history and the passions of its people, not to mention all fingers licked.

Finding ourselves walking the streets of Antigua Guatemala, we obviously delved into its pastry tradition, much of it brought to these lands of volcanoes from the old continent, back in the bloody days of the Spanish invasion. As with religion and language, time has shaped the original ingredients and added specks of native color, creating a vibrant mixture of European and Mesoamerican gastronomy.

Since the male half of Lunaguava is currently excluded from pastry heaven, the female half took it upon herself to try the native desserts and delicacies of Antigua Guatemala. Wanting to share her experience with our dear readers and the world at large, we decided to make a short video for each treat Elle inspects. Also, we thought it would be fun.

Hence, we are proud to introduce The Lady Tastes: Antigua Guatemala, a collection of short videos showcasing some of the delicacies found in these cobblestone streets high up in the Guatemalan highlands. Although their number is small at the moment, this will change as we investigate further, hopefully before the sugar rush kicks in.

The videos can be found on our YouTube channel. We’ve created a specific playlist for The Lady Tastes, where all the videos can be viewed in order. If you find it mildly amusing, please consider subscribing, sharing, liking and all those things young kids are doing these days. As an added Good Karma bonus, you will be helping us pay the bills, since these videos are monetized through our partnership with YouTube. We hope you enjoy them and will be enticed to come and visit Antigua Guatemala, a fascinating town graced by ruins, volcanoes and the sweet flavors of history.

Here’s the first episode: