Bolivia travel is not complete without sampling some local cuisine, and you better be ready to bulk up with main dishes focused on meat, meat and a little more meat – with the occasional pastry or egg thrown in for good measure. Try llama, alpaca and guinea pig, add sides like potatoes and plantain, and top it all with some Llajhua spicy sauce. For beverages sip some Yerba Mate, dried peach drink, and local beer such as El Inca.
Mains:
Meat and Potatoes
Beef, Chicken, Rabbit, Llama, Alpaca
Cuy (guinea pig)
Pique a lo Macho meat and potatoes in spicy sauce
Silpancho or Milanesa beet patty with fried egg
Chicharrón de chancho pork
Salteña empanada meat pastries
Sides:
Potatoes, plantain, yucca
Chuño freeze-dried potatoes
Llajhua spicy sauce
Snacks:
Anticucho skewered beef hearts
Salchipapas sausages and potatoes
Choripan chorizo sandwich
Ch’arki llama jerky
Cuñape cheese roll
Coca leaves
Dessert:
Budin de Coco (Coconut Pudding)
Espuma de Mango (Mango Mousse)
Beverages:
Yerba Matetea
Licuado fruit juice with water or milk
Vitaminico (fruits, milk, sugar, a shot of beer, egg is optional)
Mocochinchi dried peaches drink
ApiMorado purple corn drink
Beers:
Paceña, Huari, El Inca
Spirits:
Chicha fermented corn/maize drink
Singanigrape liquor (with Sprite or ginger ale and lime to make cocktail Chuflay or orange forYungueño cocktail)
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
