On my last trip back to Guatemala to see family, I wanted to shoot a small photo project. I was inspired by my dad’s postings about his adventures while out on his guided tours, or motorcycle outings with my mom. I wanted to take advantage of his ability to make friends with anyone anywhere to find someone interesting to document. The day before I arrived my parents happened to meet Doña Adela at La Terminal market in the city, while buying tamales. We went back after I arrived and stopped by her stand to get to know her a bit. She was set up near an entrance, fanning a grill with some chuchitos, narrowly escaping the sun under a parasol. We introduced ourselves and the project. She was very friendly and open to the idea.

Doña Adela selling chuchitos at La Terminal

Fast forward a couple of weeks later and we are at her home in Sumpango some 45 minutes out of town. We were welcomed by her daughters Liliana and Roselia who usually start the process while Doña Adela is at the market. She usually leaves around 4:30am to make the hour and a half commute and comes back once she has sold out her product, making it home around 4pm. In the meantime, Liliana and Roselia prepare the masa (dough), recado (sauce) and meat that will go inside the chuchitos. They also make tamales but today they would be preparing chuchitos and tamalitos de chipilín.

Roselia (Left) and Liliana (Right) working together to prepare the chuchitos.

They usually prepare around 150-200 chuchitos, and 100 tamales for Saturdays. They prepare everything from scratch, even grinding their own corn with their small mill. They also use it to puree their tomatoes for the recado, which has to simmer until it thickens and develops a deep flavor. They also wash the corn husks and maxán leaf to wrap the chuchitos and tamalitos de chipilín in for cooking.

Pre cooking the corn before washing and grinding.

Pureeing the tomatoes in the mill.

Simmering the recado.

Chopping the pork to stuff the chuchitos.

Washing the corn husks for the chuchitos.

Washing the maxán leaf for the tamalitos de chipilín.

Doña Adela joins in time to help grind the corn.

Mixing and preparing the masa.

On their rooftop shed, with the dough prepared, they all begin to put together the chuchitos to cook. At this time Doña Adelas daughter Miriam joins in as well to help. They pop them into a steaming woodfire pot until ready.

Doña Adela cleaning the chipilín for the tamalitos.

The recado all ready to go!

Miriam joining to lend a hand.

I had to regularly step out to deal with the smoke burning my eyes, but these ladies were completely unaffected.

We had a great time chatting while the assembly happened.

The stack of ready-to-cook chuchitos and tamalitos.

Waiting for everything to finish cooking.

Bam. A finished chuchito. Very tender when fresh, but also great when later roasted over a grill.

In the end we had a really great time and learned a lot. Although unfortunately we had to leave the country the next day, my dad later went back with some printed photos. We also took some photos together on their rooftop, and I couldn’t resist taking a few photos of their pets and Doña Adelas granddaughter Magaly.

I hope you enjoyed the photos and learned a little bit about Guatemala!