Kak'ik
A turkey stew from Guatemala's Q'eqchi' Maya people, centered on the Verapaces region around Cobán, genuinely pre-Hispanic in origin — turkey was domesticated and ceremonially significant in Mesoamerica long before Spanish contact. Its name is Q'eqchi': kak (red) and ik (chile/hot). Guatemala's own Ministry of Culture and Sports declared kak'ik part of the country's intangible cultural heritage in November 2007, a real national-level recognition, not a UNESCO listing. The red color comes from achiote and toasted dried chiles, not tomato, and the traditional herbs are culantro and mint, with culantro genuinely a different plant from cilantro despite the common substitution.
Meat
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg turkey thighs and legs (or chicken thighs)
- 4 dried guaque chiles (or guajillo)
- 2 dried pasa chiles (or ancho/pasilla)
- 2 tbsp achiote (annatto) paste
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- Culantro (or cilantro)
- Fresh mint
- Black pepper, allspice, cumin
- 2 tbsp masa or corn flour
Steps
- Toast and rehydrate the dried chiles, then blend with the tomato, onion, garlic, achiote, and spices into a paste.
- Sear the turkey pieces.
- Simmer the turkey in water with the chile paste for 60-90 minutes until tender.
- Finish with fresh culantro and mint, whisking in a little masa to lightly body the broth.
- Serve with tamalitos and rice.