South American Foods

• Foods of South America

Brazil

• Influenced by Native Brazilian cultures, Europe, Africa, America, and Asia
• Native Indigenous ingredients include tucupi, cashews, cassava, guaraná, and açaí
• Popular dishes from Brazil include feijoada, beiju, vatapá, moqueca capixaba

Feijoada

• Brazil's national dish is a black bean, beef, and pork stew
• The stew is prepared over low heat in a clay pot and served with rice

Pão de queijo

• Brazilian cheese bread originates from the Southern region
• The dough is made from cassava flour and queijo Minas, which is a soft cheese

Columbia

• The cuisine is influenced by Indigenous Colombian, Spanish, and African cuisines
• Native Indigenous ingredients include rice, maize, potato, cassava, legumes, meats, papaya, guava, blackberry, soursop, and passionfruit
• Popular dishes from Columbia include Bandeja Paisa, Arepa, Buñuelos, Empanadas, and Lechona

Bandeja Paisa

• Columbia's national dish is considered "a big meal"
• It typically includes steak, ground beef, chicharrones, rice, beans, avocado, an egg, plantains, and an arepa on one plate

Pescado Frito

• The dish translates to "fried fish"
• A whole fish is coated with flour, fried in olive oil, and seasoned with salt and is usually served with a fresh lemon

Venezuela

• The cuisine is influenced by Indigenous Venezuelan, European, and African cuisines
• Native Indigenous ingredients include corn, plantains, yams, beans, eggplants, squashes, spinach, and zucchini
• Popular dishes include Arepa, Pabellon Criollo, Hallaca, Cachapa, Pisca Andina, Patacón zuliano

Pabellón criollo

• Venezuela's national dish includes white rice, shredded beef in stew, tajadas (fried plantains), and stewed beef

Hallaca

• It is similar to a tamale and consists of corn dough stuffed with a stew of chicken, pork, or beef
• Other ingredients can include olives, raisins, onions, capers, as well as red and green bell pepper slices
• Hallacas are wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled, every region in Venezuela has a version of hallacas

Arepa

• A circular bread and one of Venezuela’s most popular dishes
• Traditionally made by soaking and pounding dried corn in a pilóna (large mortar and pestle)
• Arepas are often served with meats and cheeses, or eaten alone

Ecuador

• Influenced by Indigenous Incan, Spanish
• Native Indigenous ingredients: seafood, lentils, plantains, potatoes.
• Popular dishes include Guatita, Locro de papa, Mote pillo, Bolones de verde, Llapingacho

Guatita

• The national dish of Ecuador is a stew that has a main ingredient is pieces of tripe (cow stomach)
• The tripe is cleaned several times in a lemon-juice brine, and then cooked for a long time until the meat is tender

Llapingacho

• Potato patties that are often served with a spicy peanut sauce
• They are made of cheese and cassava or mashed potatoes
• They are flattened and cooked on a griddle until crispy brown

Peru

• Influenced by Indigenous Inca, Europe, Asia, Africa
• Native Indigenous Ingredients: corn, potatoes, quinoa, kañiwa, kiwicha, and legumes.
• Popular Dishes: Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, Anticuchos, Aji de Gallina, Rocoto Relleno, Tacu Tacu

Ceviche

• Peru's national dish is known around the world as "Peruvian Sushi"
• It is diced, fresh fish with lemon and cilantro
• It is a zesty, healthy meal
• Peru is the world's 2nd largest fish exporter, so seafood is a staple

Tacu Tacu

• Originated from the slaves in Peru and is a mixture of day-old beans and rice
• Ingredients include garlic, onion, and Peruvian spice (chilli ají amarilloand)
• Everything is sauteed in a skillet

Bolivia

• Influenced by Indigenous people, Spain
• Native Indigenous ingredients include corn, potatoes, quinoa, and beans.
• Popular dishes include Silpancho, Salteñas, Humintas, Pique Macho, and Fritanga de Cerdo

Salteñas

• Bolivia's national dish consists of oven-baked, meat-filled pockets of dough
• Crescent-shaped baked goods are often eaten for breakfast or as a mid-day snack
• Spices such as cumin and oregano, known as achiote spice, are added

Humintas

• Considered a traditional food of Andean America, and has roots in the Incan Empire
• They are made from fresh corn, ground in a batán (a stone hand-mill), and flavored with anise seeds
• Filled with cheese and wrapped in corn leaves (tamales)

Paraguay

• Influenced by Indigenous Guarani people, Spanish, Portuguese
• Native Indigenous Ingredients: Meat, vegetables, manioc, maize, and fruits
• Popular Dishes: Chipa, Sopa paraguaya, Mbejú, Mazamorra, Lampreado

Sopa paraguaya

• Paraguay's national dish means "Paraguayan soup"
• It is similar to cornbread and is made with cornflour, lard or butter, cheese, and milk or whey
• This dish is high in protein and has a spongy consistency

Mazamorra

• This pudding is one of the most popular desserts in South America
• It is made of white hominy corn and milk, some regions add fruit

Argentina

• Influences include Indigenous Argentine people, Spanish, Italian
• Native Indigenous ingredients: locally-grown cereals, grains, oil seeds, fruits, and vegetables such as squash and melons
• Popular Dishes: Asados, Empanadas, Provoleta, Dulce De Leche, Alfajores

Asados

• Argentina's national dish is a barbecue
• Popular meats include sausages, chicken, and churrasco (a beef sirloin)

Dulce de Leche

• Translates to "candy of milk"
• It is a popular, creamy dessert.
• Made by slowly reducing condensed milk and combining it with sugar to create a thick caramel, vanilla is added

Chile

• Influences: Indigenous Chilean Mapuche culture and Spanish
• Native Indigenous Ingredients: potatoes, maize, beans, and seafood.
• Popular dishes: Empanadas, Pastel de Choclo, Jaiva, Curanto

Empanadas

• Chile's national dish is usually filled with beef, and sometimes unexpected ingredients such as raisins, olives, and hard-boiled eggs
• The dough is made with warmed milk and butter that is added to egg yolks and flour

Pastel de Choclo

• Prepared with sweetcorn ground into a paste
• The paste is seasoned with ground basil, pre-cooked with milk and little fat
• The filling is made with minced beef (Pino), paprika, and other spices