Nicaragua Celebrates Festival de las Rosquillas in Somoto and Yalaguina
For more than 10 years, the local governments of Somoto and Yalagüina, in coordination with state institutions, celebrate and recognize the work done by men and women in the preparation of rosquillas, a delicious Nicaraguan pastry celebrated during the Festival de las Rosquillas Somoteñas y de Yalagüina on the third Friday in August.
Katy Lopez, vice mayor of Yalagüina, was present to welcome visitors to the 11th event: “We are celebrating one more year here with local shop owners from 14 different businesses.”
“We make ourselves visible, the small ones, the micro ones through this pastry festival,” said Flora Ortiz, a Somoteña, rosquilla small-business owner who participates in the yearly event. “Participating in the event helps us to make ourselves known, to exhibit our products, to find new clients and to promote our entire company and make our tradition and culture known.”
Enog Figueroa Rodas, rosquilla shop owner from Yalagüina, praised the event as an opportunity to promote his products: “We improved our sales qualities and surpassed them and our families are benefited because in addition to the sales we obtain, we can now carry out our future projects that we have in mind.”
The Rosquilla Festival is a traditional party attended by hundreds of families who visit the municipalities of Somoto and Yalagüina to try the delicious pastries.
From early hours, the two municipalities participated in a colorful and cheerful parade of floats through the main streets of Somoto.
A Coffee Demonstration Fair and Gastronomic Fair were also held as visitors enjoyed cultural activities and a variety of local food.
Municipio de Somoto
Last March, the Municipal School of Trades of Somoto in coordination with the Technological Center began courses in pastry making and certification in other industries. The courses have provided local families with the tools to launch businesses through trainings and certifications.
Somoto’s History and Characteristics
The town of Somoto was elevated to Villa in 1867, later in 1895 it became a city and in 1936 it was constituted as the head of the department of Madriz after its independence from Nueva Segovia. Its original name in the Nahuatl language is “Tepecxomonth” which means ,”Valley of the Geese.” Today, it is known as, “The City of Rosquillas” and as, “The Capital of Friendship.”
The Somoto Canyon and local nature reserves are popular visitor destinations for those who enjoy outdoor activities and nature exploration. The municipality of Somoto is located 216 kilometers from the city of Managua. It limits to the north with the municipalities of Santa María and Macuelizo, to the south with San Lucas and Pueblo Nuevo, to the east with Yalagüina and Totogalpa and to the west with the Republic of Honduras. The fundamental economic activities of the municipality are agriculture, livestock, commerce and the elaboration of Rosquillas.
Somoto is home to 38,531 inhabitants, of which 20,612, reside in the urban part of town, while 17,919 live in rural communities. To get to Somoto, go to the Mercado El Mayoreo bus terminal and board a transport unit heading to this municipality. The bus units leave every hour and a half. Visitors can access the municipality from the city of Estelí, Ocotal and the El Espino border posts.
You can also travel to the municipality in a private vehicle, taking the North Pan-American Highway, until you reach the municipality of Sébaco where you must take the section of the track to the left. Road access is in good conditions year round.
Municipality of Yalagüina
The name of Yalagüina originates from the Chorotega language, and means town of the heights. It was born as a town in the year 1725, it is the only one that has a royal title with transcription of ejidal lands. It is home to 12,188 urban residents while 9,712 live in rural communities.
Yalagüina residents are dedicated to artisanal and agricultural work. It is located 206 kilometers from the city of Managua. It limits to the north with Totogalpa, to the south with Pueblo Nuevo, to the east with Palacagüina and to the west with Somoto. The fundamental economic activities of the municipality are agriculture, the elaboration of rosquillas and the production of bricks.
To get to the municipality of Yalagüina, board a bus at the Mercado El Mayoreo terminal in Managua heading to Somoto or Ocotal, as the municipality is on the Pan-American Highway. Ask the driver to get off at the entrance of the town, which is visible by a colorful arch displaying two large size indigenous images in honor of the indigenous people of the area.
Soledad Quartucci | Latina Republic
Dr. Soledad Quartucci is the founder and CEO of Latina Republic, a 501(C)3 California-based nonprofit organization. Latina Republic is committed to improving the diversity and professional development of storytellers in the media industry as representation matters and affects the stories we tell. Latina Republic makes space for and empowers unheard voices and trains the next generation of leaders in the U.S.
