Mi Pais, food and culture all in one place

Whenever my family and I travel, we always try and eat authentic food from wherever we are, Sicily, Rome, Amsterdam, Mexico, and even parts of Guatemala.

Even though my mom makes the best Guatemalan dishes, some parts of Guatemala make certain dishes differently and have different tastes. I have had different foods from all over the world from Armenian food to Colombian food from Caribbean food to Sicilian food, but Guatemalan food will always have a special place in my heart. I grew up with that food and it is sacred for us. It is often viewed as a sin to throw away food, especially the tortilla. The Mayans came from maize, and it has made us who we are so throwing it away is like slapping the face of Mother Earth and our ancestors.

When I moved to NCSSM I missed my mom's homecooked meals. Sometimes I would cook at NCSSM the basic “Desayuno Chapin,” an authentic Guatemalan breakfast that consists of tortillas, fried plantains, refried beans, eggs, a slice of a specific type of cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, and most importantly a cup of coffee. Even then there were some dishes I could not cook that I craved, so where did I go? Mi Pais.

Mi Pais, which in English means my country, is a restaurant/butcher shop that sells some of the best and most authentic Guatemalan food I have had in the United States. I have been to Guatemalan restaurants in L.A., Houston, Washington, etc., but Mi Pais has two important things. The Guatemalan flavors remind you of your grandmother's house and a community. Going to NCSSM I would eat at Mi Pais at least once a week with my friends from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, and we would all agree that we would go back the week after.

I spoke with Señor Nehemias, the owner of Mi Pais, to talk about the creation of Mi Pais and its recent expansion.

I met him at the restaurant where we spoke about the origins of Mi Pais, and we conversed in Spanish, but all the questions and answers will be translated into English.

Mi Pais began conducting business on the 28th of January 2016. In the years leading up to the creation of Mi Pais, Nehemias had a lot of ideas for what he wanted to do. He always knew he wanted to own a business but for him, it seemed like a far-fetched idea. One day an individual approached him and proposed to start a taquería (a taco stand). At the start, he wasn't sure but then his brothers were also thinking about starting a carniceria (a butcher shop), when they found out about each other's dreams, they decided to work together to create a fusion of the two.

They saw a great need in the community for a butcher shop because many people here in Morganton didn't have a place to buy their meat for Carne Asadas, Tacos, Costilla Dobada, all Guatemalan and Latino dishes. When they first started, they only had a couple of items on the menu but as time went on people began requesting more authentic dishes, so Mi Pais heard their community and delivered.

Today the menu features a wide range of dishes, not just from Guatemala but from all over Latin America. Today they continue to work hard to support their community by providing jobs and food.

Nehemias was born in Huhuetenango, Guatemala, and at 16 came to the United States. He told me that when he arrived in Morganton in the '90s there were hardly any Guatemalan restaurants and many people had never tried authentic Guatemalan dishes. He knew he wanted to have people try food from his home country.

Today at Mi Pais you can try Tamales, a Guatemalan dish served around Christmas, or Pepian, a dish rich in flavor using the vegetables that grow in Guatemala. He tells me people from different backgrounds now come to Mi Pais to enjoy the food from Guatemala, the food he grew up with. When I asked him what prompted him to choose the name “Mi Pais,” he said that every person in the United States and Latin America associates their country with their identity.

He told me that his greatest obstacle was, he believed he would fail in his business at the start. He told me that before the construction of their first location, he prayed to God and left it in his hands. He believes that whether or not they succeed, God has a plan for him and his community. He thanks God, the City of Morganton, and the community for allowing him to continue working within Morganton and Burke County.

I strongly recommend Mi Pais to anyone who wants an Authentic plate of food and even if you don't someone at Mi Pais will always greet you with a smile and a good morning. Mi Pais is by far one of my favorite restaurants in Morganton and if anyone is ever there and is at a loss for what to order, my order is a Carne Asada and Agua de Nance. 10 out of 10 recommend it!

Mi Pais has two locations in Morganton, a restaurant at 507 W. Fleming Dr., and a butcher shop and grocery in Tannery Square, also on West Fleming Drive.

Christopher Pedro is a columnist for The Paper. He is a rising senior at North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics-Morganton.