| A Bolivian breakfast usually consists of a cornmeal
drink called api and an empanada (a pocket of pastry filled
with cheese and other ingredients). Many people take a mid-morning break
to eat a salteña. Salteñas are a national dish.
They are pockets of pastry filled with beef or chicken, peas, potatoes,
onions, olives, raisins and an egg.
Lunch is generally the most important meal
of the day. People take long lunch breaks and many try to eat at home with
their families. Lunch usually begins with soup, followed by a main course.
During the afternoon, people may take a tea break and eat a pastry with
their tea. Most families eat a small supper at night. |
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| Potatoes are important in Bolivian cooking. About
220 kinds of potatoes grow in Bolivia, and there are more than 200 words
for potato in the Aymara language. In rural areas, people preserve potatoes
by laying them out in the sun and then stamping on them to remove all of
the water. They leave the potatoes to freeze during the night. These preserved
potatoes are called chuños and they last for months. Corn
and beans are also staples. Sweet popcorn called pasankalla is a
favourite treat and people enjoy eating white corn called choclo.
Cassava and fried plantains are popular side dishes. Rice and a grain called
quinoa are often eaten with meals or added to soups. Bolivians enjoy
a wide variety of fruits, including prickly pears and chirimoya
(custard apples). |
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Did you know? |
| Before
people drink chicha, they sprinkle a few drops onto the ground for
the Earth Goddess, Pachamama. This ritual is called cha'lla and
is thought to guarantee a good harvest. |
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| Popular Bolivian dishes include pollo
escabeche (chicken and pickled vegetables with a pepper sauce), sajta
de pollo (chicken cooked with yellow peppers, garlic, cumin, salt,
parsley and onion) and chicharrón (fried pork). People who
live near a lake may eat trout, dorado, surubí and
pejerrey. In the south, where people raise beef cattle, a common
dish is ají de lengua (spicy cow's tongue).
Bolivians love hot and spicy sauces. Llajua,
a spicy tomato sauce, is eaten with many dishes. In Cochabamba, people
prepare a sauce called soltero or k'allu with onions, tomatoes
and cheese.
Saisi, chairo paceño, fricasé and fritanga
are spicy stews. |
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Bolivian desserts include cocadas (coconut
candies), ice cream, sweet pastries and fritters. Humintas are pastries
cooked in corn husks. Many people enjoy drinking herbal teas called matés
or chicha (fermented cassava or corn liquor). Bolivians also like
to drink beer or a liquor made with white grapes called singani. Singani
is drunk alone or as part of different cocktails.
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Cocadas |
| Ingredients
650 ml
shredded coconut
200 ml condensed
milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon
almond essence
Preparation
Mix the
ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon small amounts of the mixture onto
a greased cookie sheet using two teaspoons. Bake at 160°C for 25 minutes
or until the candies are smooth and golden brown. |
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