What to eat Bolivia? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Discover Bolivia : Gastronomy

Considered one of the most ethnically and naturally diverse countries on the American continent, Bolivia boasts 37 official languages, echoing the many cultures that have influenced the local cuisine. The country has one of the highest proportions of Amerindians on the continent - Aymaras, Guaranis, Quechuas, etc. - and many Mestizos. - There are also many Mestizos, Europeans, particularly of Spanish origin, Africans, Asians and Arabs. Many vegetables have been grown in the region for thousands of years, such as potatoes and quinoa, in addition to a multitude of other ingredients that make Bolivian cuisine tasty, rich and finely spiced, but not too spicy. The picture is completed by desserts reminiscent of Spanish pastries, little-known quality wines and, of course, singani, the national brandy.

Characteristic products

The Incas and other Andean civilizations domesticated numerous plant species thousands of years ago. Archaeologists have traced the cradle of potato cultivation to the shores of Lake Titicaca, between Bolivia and Peru. From the ^16th century onwards, the Spaniards brought this root vegetable to Europe, where it was shunned for a long time. Its yellow flesh tended to turn blue as it oxidized, and it was thought to be toxic until the ^18th century. In the Andes, on the other hand, it has been consumed for over 8,000 years. While in the West we're usually treated to smooth, graded yellow potatoes, Bolivians are spoilt for choice. According to the Bolivian Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Innovation (INIAF), there are no fewer than 1,555 potato species in the country. Long, round, cylindrical, smooth, bumpy, yellow, red, brown, pink, black, purple, with equally colorful flesh.

In addition to potatoes, other root vegetables include 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) and arracacha (a kind of enormous brown carrot with a taste somewhere between celery and chestnut). Not forgetting corn, which arrived from Mexico around 3,000 years ago, and of course quinoa. This cereal has been eaten around Lake Titicaca for over 4,000 years. However, the popularity of quinoa - worldwide consumption of which has almost quadrupled in the last fifteen years - has driven up the price of this staple food for Bolivians, who are finding it increasingly difficult to buy.

Added to this is a wide variety of other foods, such as wheat, rice, tomatoes, squash, cabbage and numerous legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils, broad beans). As for meat, Bolivians generally eat chicken, pork, beef and mutton. Although the country has no access to the sea, lakes and rivers - including the mighty Amazon River - are a paradise for freshwater fish. There are also a few local curiosities. Llama meat has been eaten by mountain populations for millennia. While guinea pigs are mostly thought of as pets 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. Andean cuisine is that of the high plateaus (Altiplano), based on hearty ingredients such as meat (chicken, lamb, beef, pork), potatoes and corn. Chuño or tunta, produced by dehydrating potatoes in a cycle of exposure to sun and frost, is used to preserve the tubers for several years. The cuisine of the mid-altitude valleys is more varied, with numerous varieties of vegetables, fruit and cereals, both tropical and temperate. Eastern cuisine features many tropical products grown in the humid plains of the Amazon Basin, such as cassava, 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 containing a stuffing of juicy meat or vegetables cooked in broth. There are also humitas, made from corn dough wrapped in corn husks and steamed. Goat's cheese is sometimes added. In Bolivia, they are called tamales if they also contain meat. Another corn-based appetizer, queso humacha, is a La Paz specialty, 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 potatoes, 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. Silpancho is a Cochabamba specialty made with 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 staple is the cuñapé, a manioc bread roll filled with cheese.

Soups are common fare in Bolivia, often nourishing and inexpensive. The most original would probably be kalapurka, a thick corn soup, traditional to the city of Potosí, which is poured into a large stone bowl heated over 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 a number of 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 chili sauce). And don't forget pique macho (fried meat cubes with diced tomato and chili pepper),uchuku mizqueño (duck, chicken and beef trio on the BBQ) or saice (chili-flavored ground beef stew with potatoes and peas). Other Cochachamba specialties include ch'ajchu (shredded beef, potatoes, hard-boiled egg, tomato and chili sauce) and p'ampaku (grilled duck, suckling pig, lamb, chicken and rabbit). More original, conejo ("rabbit") lampreado is actually a recipe for grilled guinea pig. Finally, there are a number of recipes for tripe or kidney-based offal, such as jolke. And let's not forget morcilla, a variety of black pudding of Spanish origin.

Fish recipes include caldo de carachi, a fish soup native to Lake Titicaca, or pejerrey relleno, fillets of a local fish rolled with a meat filling. Last but not least, the Amazon River is home to over 3,000 species of fish, including surubí, pacú, arapaima and piranha, which are usually served grilled.

Desserts and drinks

Recipes for postres (desserts) feature milk: arroz con leche (rice pudding), leche asada (egg flan), budín de pan (bread pudding), budín de coco (coconut flan), chocolate, manzanas (apple), quinua (quinoa) or naranja (orange). There's alsoarrope, a jelly made with caramelized grape juice, cuajadilla, a sweet made with curdled milk and cane honey, and gelatina de pata, a kind of milk panna cotta flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. Don't forget rosquete, large ring-shaped doughnuts with a white glaze, typical of the Tarije valley, or empanadas blanqueadas, turnovers filled with lacayote (watermelon) paste and also decorated with a glaze.

Maté de coca is an infusion of coca leaves, typically Andean, consumed to alleviate altitude sickness. The coca leaf helps the blood absorb oxygen and aids digestion. The cocaine content of this leaf is minute, so there's no risk of toxicity or dependency.Api morado is the typical hot drink of the Altiplano, made with purple corn, sugar and cinnamon. Yungas coffee (an Arabica produced in this region of steep, humid mountains between the Andes and the Amazon Basin) is extremely famous. The department of La Paz produces 95% of Bolivia's coffee.

Alcohols

Bolivia produces a wide range of spirits, starting with sigani. This brandy, made from the distillation of muscatel grapes, has been awarded an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). This spirit, flirting with 70°, is used to make numerous cocktails, including 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) and the Singani Sour.

Other drinks include chicha (fermented corn drink), guarapo (fermented grape and apple drink), guindol (cherry liqueur) andajenjo (absinthe). Cerveza (beer) was imported by ^20th-century German immigrants. 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, with the highest vineyards in the world, produces some excellent wines. Bolivia's wine-growing history began in the ^16th century with the arrival of the Spanish. Today, most of Bolivia's wine production (over 80%) is in the Tarija region, known for its mild, sunny climate. 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 (mainly used to make Singani), Riesling and Chardonnay.

Enjoying yourself Bolivia

Timetable Bolivia

Restaurant opening times vary widely. Traditional restaurants are open as in France, for lunch and dinner, often with a weekly closing day (or two), usually 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 late in the morning provide service until around 7pm. And then there are those that open around 5pm and close late into the evening. Restaurants catering to tourists are generally open every day, from morning to evening, without interruption. In Uyuni, the town on the Salar, most restaurants are only open in the evening, as during the day travellers are out on excursions... Market comedors are generally open from morning until 2 or 3 pm.

Budget & Tips Bolivia

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

Restaurants. Virtually all restaurants offer lunchtime almuerzo formulas at attractive prices, with soup and main course for the smaller restaurants (around Bs 40), plus salad bar, desserts and drinks for the better restaurants (up to Bs 70). A la carte prices vary enormously according to the choice of restaurant. The cost of dinner is generally higher than that of lunch. And, with a few exceptions, the prices charged by good restaurants are not prohibitive.

What costs extra Bolivia

The tip is normally already included in the bill, but there's nothing to stop you thanking someone for good service or special attention... It's a habit we've gradually lost, but one that's regaining all its meaning as a way of thanking those who make the effort and deserve it, especially as the cost of living is not expensive for a European in Bolivia.

The local way Bolivia

Bolivia is a country of great climatic, geographical and cultural diversity: its gastronomy reflects this diversity. While each region has its own typical dishes, most are accompanied by sopa (soup) as a starter, and bread, potatoes in all their forms and (very) hotaji (chili pepper) sauce. In working-class neighborhoods and rural areas, sopa is sometimes the only meal of the day. It's also a smart way to eat at altitude. There is a wide range of recipes, which differ from region to region. The main courses are generally served generously and will satisfy even the biggest appetites. As for international cuisine, the cities of La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz have everything to satisfy the most demanding palates.

Here are a few words to know when it comes to Bolivian tableware:

Ají : a condiment widely used in Altiplano cuisine; be careful, it stings! If you're not used to it, it's best to abstain. Or try it... but just a little! In restaurants, just say "sin ají" and we'll understand.

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

Choclo : hard, sweetcorn , very popular in Bolivia (the kernels are removed from the cob with the teeth, 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 compressed until water runs out. This operation is repeated for several days, until absolutely no water remains. The potato then turns black.

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

Llajua : a spicysauce made with locoto, tomato and a little onion, seasoned with aromatic herbs that vary from region to region. This is the national sauce. Be careful, it's often very spicy!

Humita : sweet and savory 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 juicy salteña boliviana is usually eaten in the morning between 10am and midday. You'll find it all over the country.

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

Yuca: a tuber that replaces the potato, very common in eastern Bolivia. You'll recognize it as manioc.

To be avoided Bolivia

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.

Kids Bolivia

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

Smokers Bolivia

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

Tourist traps Bolivia

Be careful where you eat. Don't think you're going to die just because you've tasted chicken-foot soup in a local market, but take precautions and, if you've got a weak stomach, avoid street stalls: they're pretty rudimentary. On the Altiplano, condiments( notablyaji, chili pepper) are used to excess, which is not the case in the Oriente. Most travellers don't much appreciateaji, and most restaurants today offer international or local dishes, but with no particular flavour.