Characteristic products
The Incas and other Andean civilizations domesticated many species of plants thousands of years ago. The work of archaeologists has made it possible to locate the cradle of potato cultivation on the shores of Lake Titicaca between Bolivia and Peru. From the 16th century onwards, the Spaniards brought this root vegetable to Europe where the plant was shunned for a long time. Indeed, its yellow flesh tends to turn blue as it oxidizes and it is thought to be toxic until the 18th century. On the other hand, in the Andes it has been consumed for more than 8,000 years. If in the West we generally have the right to yellow potatoes, all that is smooth and calibrated, Bolivians have only the embarrassment of choice. According to the Bolivian Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Innovation (INIAF), there are no less than 1,555 species of potatoes in the country. Long, round, cylindrical, smooth, bumpy, yellow, red, brown, pink, black, purple, with an equally colorful flesh.
In addition to potatoes, other root vegetables are eaten, such as oca (the white, pink or black tuber of the Peruvian oxalis), papalisa or ullucus (a bumpy yellow or pink tuber whose leaves are also edible), manioc (native to Amazonia), isaño (tubers of the tuberous nasturtium) or arracacha (a kind of enormous brown carrot whose taste oscillates between celery and chestnut). Not forgetting corn, which arrived from Mexico about 3,000 years ago, and of course quinoa. This cereal has been consumed for more than 4,000 years around Lake Titicaca. It should be noted, however, that the popularity of quinoa - whose worldwide consumption has almost quadrupled in the last fifteen years - has caused the price of this staple food to skyrocket for Bolivians, who are finding it more and more difficult to obtain it.
In addition, there is a wide variety of foods such as wheat, rice, tomatoes, squash, cabbage, many legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils, broad beans), etc. As for meat, Bolivians generally eat chicken, pork, beef and mutton. Although the country has no access to the sea, the lakes and rivers - including the mighty Amazon River - are a paradise for freshwater fish. There are also some local curiosities. Llama meat has been eaten by the mountain people for thousands of years. Although the guinea pig is mostly thought of as a pet in the West, this rodent, called "cuye" in Spanish, is often found grilled in the country's markets.
Bolivian cuisine is divided into three regions: the Andes, the Valleys and the East. The Andean cuisine is that of the high plateaus (Altiplano), based on hearty ingredients, especially meat (chicken, lamb, beef, pork) and potatoes or corn. Chuño or tunta, produced by the dehydration of potatoes through a cycle of exposure to sun and frost, is prepared here, allowing the tubers to be kept for several years. The cuisine of the mid-altitude valleys is more varied and includes many varieties of vegetables, fruits and cereals, both tropical and temperate. The cuisine of the East presents many tropical products cultivated in the humid plains of the Amazon Basin such as manioc, plantain and rice.The classics of Bolivian cuisine
The local gastronomy is rich in many dishes, starting with tasty snacks such as salteñas, hearty turnovers with a filling of juicy meat or vegetables cooked in broth. There are also humitas, made from corn dough wrapped in corn leaves and steamed. Sometimes goat cheese is added. In Bolivia they are called tamales if they also contain meat. Another corn appetizer, queso humacha, is a specialty of La Paz, in the form of corn on the cob cooked in a sauce of melted cheese and yellow pepper. The lighter solterito is a tomato, onion and bean salad with crumbled cheese. Another La Paz classic, plato paceño
, contains corn, beans, melted cheese and potato, often served with roasted meat.In the east of the country, masaco (mashed plantain or manioc with dried pork), majadito (grilled rice with dried meat, tomato, fried eggs and fried plantain) or sopa tabada (timbale of rice, dried meat, banana, hard-boiled eggs and potatoes in the form of a cake) are prepared. The silpancho is a Cochabamba speciality made of rice, covered with potato, minced steak, tomato and onion with a fried egg. If you replace the rice with bread to make a sandwich, you get a trancapecho. Another basic dish is the cuñapé
, a cassava bread roll with cheese filling.Soups are common in Bolivia as they are often nutritious and inexpensive. The most original would probably be the kalapurka, a thick corn soup, traditional of the city of Potosí, which is poured into a large stone bowl heated over the embers and served literally bubbling. Ch'aqi de quinua (thick quinoa and potato soup), jak'alawa (corn soup with pork and potatoes), sopa de maní (ground peanut soup with beef, tomatoes, potatoes and noodles) and locro
(chicken soup with plantain and rice) complete the picture.There are also many complete meat dishes, such as picante surtido, a plate filled with grilled meats (chicken, beef tongue, lamb, etc.), sajta de gallina (spicy chicken with potatoes and tomato) and thimpu (beef, lamb, rice and potatoes cooked in a chilli sauce). Not forgetting the pique macho (fried meat cubes with diced tomato and chilli), theuchuku mizqueño (trio of duck, chicken and beef on the BBQ) or the saice (chilli stew of minced beef with potatoes and peas). Then there is the ch'ajchu (shredded beef, potatoes, hard-boiled egg, tomato and chili sauce) and the p'ampaku (grilled duck, suckling pig, lamb, chicken and rabbit), two specialties of Cochachamba. More original, the conejo ("rabbit") lampreado is actually a recipe for grilled guinea pig. Finally, there are a few recipes for offal based on tripe or kidneys, such as jolke. Not forgetting morcilla
, a variety of black pudding, of Spanish origin. Fish recipes include caldo de carachi, a fish soup native to Lake Titicaca, and pejerrey relleno, a local fish fillet rolled with a meat filling. Finally, the Amazon River provides a suitable habitat for more than 3,000 species of fish such as surubí, pacú, arapaima or piranha, which are usually served simply grilled.Desserts and drinks
The recipes for postres (desserts) include a lot of milk: arroz con leche (rice pudding), leche asada (a kind of egg custard), budín de pan (bread pudding), budín de coco ( coconut custard), chocolate, manzanas (apple), quinua (quinoa) or naranja (orange). There is alsoarrope, a caramelized grape juice jelly, cuajadilla, a curdled milk and cane honey dessert, and gelatina de pata, a kind of milk panna cotta flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. Don't forget the rosquete, large ring-shaped doughnuts with white icing, typical of the Tarije Valley, or the empanadas blanqueadas
, filled with lacayote (watermelon) paste and also decorated with icing. The mate of coca is an infusion of coca leaves, typically Andean, consumed to alleviate altitude sickness. The coca leaf promotes the absorption of oxygen in the blood and facilitates digestion. The cocaine content of this leaf is very low, so there is no risk of toxicity or dependence. Theapi morado is the typical hot drink of the Altiplano made with purple corn, sugar and cinnamon. The coffee of the Yungas (an arabica produced in this region of humid and steep mountains located between the Andes and the Amazon Basin) is extremely famous. The department of La Paz produces 95% of the coffee in Bolivia.Alcohols
Bolivia produces many alcohols, starting with sigani
. This brandy made from the distillation of muscatel has a controlled designation of origin (AOC). This alcohol, which is close to 70°, is used to make many cocktails such as the famous Chuflay (ice cubes, Singani, Sprite or ginger ale and a slice of lemon), the Poncho Negro (same preparation as the Chuflay, but with Coca-Cola), the Yungueñito (with orange juice) or the Singani Sour.Other drinks include chicha (fermented corn drink), guarapo (fermented grape and apple drink), guindol (cherry liqueur) andajenjo
(absinthe). The cerveza (beer) was imported by German immigrants in the 20th century. Each city produces its own beer: Paceña in La Paz, Ducal in Santa Cruz, Taquiña in Cocha, Potosína in Potosí, Astra in Tarija, Sureña in Sucre and Huari in Oruro. The top three: Huari, Potosína and Paceña. It may seem surprising, but Bolivia, which has the highest vineyards in the world, produces excellent wines. Bolivia's wine history began in the 16th century with the arrival of the Spaniards. Today, most of Bolivia's wine production (over 80%) is in the Tarija region, known for its mild, sunny climate. The intense exposure to the sun and the great climatic variation between day and night give the grapes a rich aroma and rapid ripening. The main grape varieties used are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tannat, Merlot, Malbec, Torontés, Muscat (which is mainly used to make Singani), Riesling and Chardonnay.
