What to eat Bolivia? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Restaurant hours are very varied. Traditional restaurants, like in France, are open for lunch and dinner, often with a weekly closing day (or two), usually on Sunday (restaurants open on Sunday evenings in La Paz are rare). Small local restaurants are open for a single service eight hours a day. If restaurants open early in the morning, they close around 2pm. Those that open in the late morning provide service until around 7pm. And there are those that open around 5pm and close late in the evening. The restaurants intended for a clientele of tourists are in principle open every day, from morning to evening without interruption. In Uyuni, the city of the Salar, most restaurants are only open in the evening, because during the day travelers are on excursions... The markets' comedors are generally open from morning until 2 or 3 pm.

Eating in the markets. Throughout the country, the mercados often have a comedor where you can enjoy local menus for nothing! For lunch, they often offer an almuerzo formula consisting of a soup and a main course for a handful of bolivianos (between 10 and 20 Bs the menu).

The restaurants. Almost all restaurants offer almuerzo lunch packages at low prices, with soup and a main course for the smaller restaurants (around 40 Bs), plus salad bar, desserts and drinks for the better ones (up to 70 Bs). Prices for a la carte dishes vary greatly depending on the choice of restaurant. The cost of a dinner is generally higher than lunch. And, with a few exceptions, the prices charged by good restaurants are not prohibitive

The tip is normally already included in the bill, but nothing prevents you from thanking a good service or a particular attention... It is a habit that has been lost little by little, but that recovers all its sense to thank those who make an effort and deserve it.

Bolivia is a country with a great climatic, geographical and cultural variety: its gastronomy reflects this diversity. If each region has its own typical dishes, most of them are accompanied by sopa (soup) as a starter, and bread, potatoes in all their forms and (very) hotaji (chilli) sauce. In working-class neighbourhoods or in the countryside, sopa is sometimes the only meal of the day. It is also a smart way to eat at high altitudes. There are many different recipes, which differ from region to region. The main courses are usually served generously and will satisfy even the biggest appetites. As far as international cuisine is concerned, the cities of La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz have everything to satisfy the most demanding palates

Here are some words to know when it comes to the art of eating in Bolivia:

Ají : condiment very used in the Altiplano cuisine; beware, it stings! If you are not used to it, you'd better not try it. Or try it... but just a little! In the restaurant, just say "sin ají" and we'll understand.

Charquí : dry, salty meat that can be kept for a long time.

Choclo : hard, sweet corn, very popular in Bolivia (the kernels are torn off with the teeth directly from the cob and can be served with cottage cheese)

Chuño : dehydrated potatoes. They are left to harden overnight at temperatures below 0°C; the next day they are squeezed until water runs out. This process is repeated for several days until there is absolutely no water left. The potato then has a black colour.

Locoto : red, green and sometimes yellow pepper, similar to our pepper but smaller and much hotter!

Llajua : hot sauce made with locoto, tomato and a little onion, it is seasoned with different herbs in each region. It is the national sauce. Be careful, it is often very spicy!

Humita : sweet and salty choclo dessert.

Salteña : This is an empanada, originally from Salta in Argentina. This delicious baked turnover is filled with meat (beef, chicken or other), egg and various vegetables. The salteña boliviana is very juicy and is usually eaten in the morning between 10am and noon. You will find it all over the country

Tucumana : similar to the salteña, but without the juice; it is also fried and the dough is different.

Yuca : tuber that replaces the potato, very common in the Bolivian East. One will have recognized the manioc

Don't drink tap water, prefer mineral water: La Cabaña, Vital or Cristal or the very good Viscachani carbonated. Also among the carbonated drinks, try Papaya Salvietti.

Avoid drinks with ice cubes (especially those sold on the street), as well as pre-cut fruits and vegetables.

In all tourist cities, restaurants, especially those in hotels, offer menus or specialities for children. Baby milk is easily available in the big cities, but baby food is very rare. Bolivians often give soups and rice to the little ones.

Smoking is prohibited in enclosed public places. In practice, the law is sometimes circumvented in small establishments in villages and rural areas.

Be careful where you eat. Don't think you're going to die because you're eating chicken foot soup in a local market, but take precautions and, if you have a weak stomach, avoid the street stalls: they're pretty rudimentary. On the Altiplano, condiments are used to excess(aji in particular, chilli pepper), which is not the case in the Oriente. Most of the time, travelers do not appreciateaji very much, and most restaurants nowadays offer international or local dishes, but without any particular flavor.

Cafés are open during the day and close in the late afternoon, or early evening in the larger cities. Bars usually open only in the late afternoon until late at night.

Prices for espresso or cappuccino in the big cities are slightly cheaper than in France. Prices are much lower in street stalls or some small shops.

In Bolivia, the legal drinking age is 18.

Coca mate. Infusion of coca leaves. You will find this typical Andean drink, consumed to alleviate altitude sickness, in all hotels and restaurants, often self-service. Drinking coca mate or chewing the coca leaf helps the absorption of oxygen in the blood and facilitates digestion. The cocaine content of the leaf is very low, so there is no risk of toxicity or dependence.

Chicha. Alcoholic drink obtained by the fermentation of corn, consumed mainly in the South of the country (Cochabamba, Tupiza, Tarija, Chuquisaca...). It is the Inca drink par excellence. It was used for religious ceremonies and the cult of the Pachamama long before the arrival of the conquistadors. In the Oriente, there is also the chicha de maní, a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made of peanuts.

Api morado. This is the typical drink of the Altiplano. Try this hot drink made with purple corn, sugar and cinnamon. Serve with a buñuelo (doughnut) or a salteña

Bolivian coffee. The coffee from the Yungas (Arabica produced in an artisanal way by the Afro-Bolivian communities of the Yungas) is really delicious, probably the best coffee in the world, as the advertising for the "gringo" exaggerates. The department of La Paz produces 95% of the coffee in Bolivia.

Fresh fruit juices. You will find them in every market in Bolivia. Try the juice of carambola (a delicacy),achachairú (fruit of the wood-ointment or apricot tree, as it is called in the Antilles) or mango, apple... Full of vitamins guaranteed!

The cerveza (beer). 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 is worth mentioning that smoking is prohibited in enclosed public places (it is therefore tolerated on the terrace in some establishments).