Bolivian foods have a bit of a bad rep amongst travellers. Bland, repetitive, and a lot of potatoes is a summary of the reviews I read online. Needless to say, my expectations going in were pretty low.
During my month in Bolivia, I stayed with, and ate with, a local Bolivian family in Sucre. I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of tasty and interesting foods to eat in Bolivia. Potatoes do indeed feature heavily, but there’s more to Bolivian food than that.
Read on to find out about the best local foods to eat in Bolivia.
1. Salteña
Salteñas are a type of empanada from Bolivia. They are delicious, and a definite South American culinary highlight for me. The dough is slightly sweet, and looks a bit like a Cornish pasty. The filling is a mouth-watering mixture of meat and vegetables bathed in a spicy stew. You may also find a few olives and slices of boiled egg in there as well. I advise you not to wear white clothes when eating salteñas, as the stew is very prone to spillage.
Salteñas are a popular mid-morning snack with locals. But watch out, as they are only available in the mornings. They’re usually sold out by the afternoon!
2. K’alapurka Soup
K’alapurka soup is undoubtedly the most interesting soup I have ever tried. This bubbling corn soup is rich and thick, topped with a dash of the red spicy sauce known as ají. It’s served in a simple clay bowl, and continues to bubble away long after it has left the cooking pot.
The secret ingredient is heated volcanic rock. It keeps the soup hot and steaming, bubbling along like a lava pool. K’alapurka soup is a traditional dish from Potosí in southern Bolivia. It’s typically eaten for breakfast, but due to its popularity, is now served at all times of the day.
3. Pique Macho
Pique macho, or pique a lo macho, is a popular Bolivian food with a funny origin story. This hearty dish contains chunks of meat, usually beef and chicken, as well as sausage. The meat is mixed in with spicy peppers, onions and tomato, and topped by slices of boiled egg. Underneath is a bed of chips (french fries) drenched in a rich gravy, which often contains beer. If you don’t already feel full and/or queasy from that description, then this is the dish for you!
The story goes that a group of drunken friends wandered into a restaurant one evening for some food. The restaurant was closing, but the cook cobbled together a dish from some leftovers. “Eat this if you’re macho enough,” she said. It turned out to be a complete hit. One of the customers accidentally spilt beer onto the food, but found that this made it taste even better! Pique macho has been a favourite food in Bolivia ever since.
Pique macho is a very heavy meal, and usually shared between two or three people. I ate this whole plate by myself, though – does that make me macho enough?
4. Sopa di Maní
Sopa di maní, or peanut soup, is a traditional Bolivian food you must try. Peanuts in soup sounds a bit odd, but it’s delicious. The soup’s characteristic creaminess comes from blended peanuts rather than cream. There’s plenty to chew on as well – potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, chicken, and toasted crunchy pasta.
Although it’s often served as a starter, the soup is filling enough to be a meal by itself. You can find this dish served in many Bolivian households and marketplaces. It’s also easy to make yourself.
5. Llajua
Llajua (pronounced ya-hwa) is basically Bolivian ketchup. It’s made from tomatoes and locoto chilli peppers. This versatile sauce goes with everything, and you’ll see it at most Bolivian dinner tables.
Llajua is slightly spicy and adds extra flavour to any dish (it even makes salad more bearable). I first tried it as a side sauce for grilled meat, but it also works as a dip for bread, and stirred into peanut soup (see number 4).
6. Papas Rellenas
Papas rellenas means filled potatoes. Yes, okay, Bolivian food does feature a lot of potatoes. But bear with me on this one.
This potato is stuffed with a boiled egg (sometimes also mince) and then deep-fried in batter. Result: a tasty and filling snack. I like to think of it as Bolivia’s (sometimes) vegetarian answer to a scotch egg. Papas rellenas is eaten all across the Andean region, and can also be found in Peru.
7. Buñuelo
Buñuelos are Bolivian doughnuts. This fried dough ring is sweet and chewy, and the perfect snack for those of us with a sweet tooth.
Note: these are different from the Colombian buñuelos, which are fried balls of cheesy dough.
8. Chirimoya
Chirimoya is an amazing and unique fruit that grows in the Andean highlands. The soft green exterior has a scaly appearance. When I first saw them, I thought they looked like a cross between a dragon’s egg and a durian fruit. Chirimoyas are heart-shaped and about the size of a small melon.
The fruit itself tastes divine – sweet and juicy, and slightly tangy. Almost like a pear, but without the grittiness. They are also known as custard apples because of the creaminess of the fruit’s flesh. It’s quite an expensive fruit, and considered to be a delicacy in Bolivia.
9. Chicha
Ok, this one isn’t a food, but it would be almost criminal to leave it off this list. Chicha is a traditional fermented corn drink dating back to the Incas. It’s usually home-brewed and contains about 1-3% alcohol, less than an average beer. It was a ceremonial drink for the Incas, reserved for high-status people on important occasions. Nowadays it’s a common drink throughout Bolivia and Peru. It’s particularly popular amongst middle-aged men, as evidenced by the, er, shapely pitchers.
The drinking establishments serving chicha are known as chicherías. Chicha is traditionally drunk from dried shells of a fruit called tutuma. The drink itself is sour, with a slight fizz that’s reminiscent of kombucha. It’s an acquired taste for most gringos, although I quite enjoyed it!
Before drinking, you should pour a little onto the ground as an offering for Pachamama – “para la pachamama“. I’m told that Pachamama (Mother Earth) is a party girl, and only accepts alcoholic offerings!
So there you have it – some of the best foods to try in Bolivia.
Have you ever tried any of these Bolivian foods? Let me know in the comments!
Read more about what to do in Bolivia.
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