Vigorón is a stunning, traditional, authentic Nicaraguan salad dish made from yuca (cassava), cabbage and pork rind.
It feels and tastes so wonderfully Central and Latin American with its use of the yuca plant and a fresh lime flavour.
Vigorón mostly consists of a light cabbage salad topped with boiled yuca and crispy pork skin.
It is most commonly eaten using your hands and no cutlery. You should pick up a piece of pork rind and scoop on some salad and yuca for the perfect bite.
Often you will find this dish in Nicaragua served as an appetizer but you can also eat it as a main or as a snack from street food vendors.
It’s a common dish to prepare for friends and family who quickly stop by as it is very easy to prepare and doesn’t require too many ingredients.
Other North/Central American countries love to eat Vigorón too. It is also particularly popular in Costa Rica as well as Grenada.
First off, if you don’t know Spanish then this dish is a perfect reason to learn some Gastronomic vocabulary.
- Chicharrones – fried pork rinds or pork belly
- Curtido – a lightly fermented cabbage relish with onions, tomatoes, carrots, chili pepper, vinegar and salt
- Yuca/Cassava – a root plant native to South America
Vigorón Recipe (Cabbage & Yuca)
Vigorón is a wonderfully fresh Nicaraguan yuca salad served with pork rind. A traditional and authentic Central American dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh yuca root (cassava)
- 1 small head cabbage
- 2 plum tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 large lime
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lb chicharrones (pork rinds)
- 1 white onion minced
Instructions
- Peel the yuca root and rinse under cold water. Place into a large pot of salted water on a high heat.
- Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Boil until the yuca is soft enough to stick a fork through.
- In a large bowl, begin to assemble your curtido salad. Shred the cabbage into fine strips and leave in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes before rinsing and tossing with the chopped tomatoes, onion and apple cider vinegar.
- Season the curtido salad with salt and vinegar to taste. Refrigerate until later.
- When the yuca is boiled, remove it from the pot and slice lengthways in half or quarters to create big chunks.
- Now begin to assemble your Vigorón. Distribute the yuca on to plates, top with your curtida salad and chicharrones (pork skin).
- Add a wedge of lime to the side of each portion.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 707Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 2232mgCarbohydrates: 94gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 39g
Another particularly popular Nicaraguan dish often gets confused with Vigorón which is Baho/Vaho, which you can also try cooking.
Preparing Yuca for Cooking Vigorón
If you are not familiar with yuca or how is is prepared, here’s a great guide to help:
Yuca has many other uses such as being made into a Kava drink on the island of Fiji or being made into cassareep for cooking Guyanese Pepperpot.
Those in Europe and North America are often less familiar with yuca but when it is available it’s a great staple to cook a variety of dishes with, and Vigorón is a great dish to start.