A book on innovative cuisine of the Northern Region of Honduras was recently published, including a selection of 150 recipes. This publication marks the completion of a ST-EP project launched in 2008, thanks to the support of a tripartite alliance between the UNWTO, SNV and the ST-EP Foundation.

The project, implemented by the Madrid hotel school Hotel Escuela Madrid (HEM) was aimed at organizing various courses attended by some one hundred participants from the cities of Tela and La Ceiba. The course subjects included food preparation techniques, quality control and hygiene, food presentation and cost analysis. Subsequently, motivational and awareness-raising sessions were organized to ensure the wide dissemination of the lessons learned among the local communities. This vocational training culminated with a culinary competition, whose winners were admitted to a supplementary course on baking and pastry.

With the Northern Coast being given high priority in the sustainable tourism strategy of Honduras, hotel and restaurant training for the local population became necessary so that the services offered at family-run inns and the fresh produce sold on market shelves could be reliable sources of revenue and integration in the tourism economy.