Back in October of 2014 I took a group trip with a bunch of fellow New Yorkers — who were then strangers — to Guatemala. The trip consisted of jaunts to Atitlan Lake, Flores (with a visit to Tikal National Park and the ancient Mayan city Yaxha), Antigua and Ixpanpajul. We also hiked to to the top of Pacaya volcano, which was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.

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Man cutting orange in half

On our volcano hike we encountered a man making and selling Naranjas Con Pepitoria, oranges with ground pumpkin seeds. Having spent a good portion of my life living in Florida, I love oranges (and all citrus!) but this was my first time having such a thing.

He took a pre-peeled orange out of his basket, cut it in half, topped it with some salt and crushed pumpkin seed, then added chili powder when I said yes to spice. The result was a juicy, refreshing snack whose sweet and spicy combination made for excitement in every bite. It was the perfect hiking food!

Since the trip I’ve planned on making this at home but have yet to do so.

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Naranjas Con Pepitoria