Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Similar to salteñas , but deep-fried and with a higher potato content, are tucumanas , also
named after a city (Tucumán) in Argentina. Also commonly available are empanadas , sim-
pler pasties filled with meat, chicken or cheese and either baked or fried. Another snack typ-
ical of Santa Cruz is the cuñape , a tasty pastry made from cheese and yuca flour. Familiar in-
ternational snacks are also common in Bolivia, including hamburgers ( hamburguesas ) and
hot dogs ( choripan ).
Comida típica
In the Altiplano , traditional Aymara cuisine is dominated by the potato , often served along-
side rice as one of two or three different carbohydrates on the same plate. The Andes are the
original homeofthepotato,andovertwohundreddifferentvarieties aregrowninBolivia. As
well as being boiled, baked, mashed and fried, they are also freeze-dried using ancient tech-
niques involving repeated exposure to sunshine and frost. Known as chuño and tunta , these
dehydrated potatoes have an unusual texture and a distinctive, nutty flavour that takes some
getting used to. They're often boiled and served instead of (or as well as) fresh potatoes, but
they're best appreciated in the many different soups that are a feature of Altiplano cuisine.
These are thick, hearty affairs laden with potatoes, vegetables and whatever meat is to hand
- one of the most typical and widely available is chairo , typical of La Paz. Another standard
soup ingredient is quinoa , a native Andean grain that has a distinctively nutty flavour and a
remarkably high nutritional value.
The most common meat in the Altiplano is mutton , closely followed by llama, which is
lean and tasty. Llama meat is often eaten in a dried form known as charque (the origin of the
English word jerky). Other Altiplano mainstays include sajta , a spicy dish of chicken cooked
with dried yellow chilli, potatoes, tunta , onions and parsley; and the plato paceño , a mixed
plate of meat, cheese, potatoes, broad beans and maize which is typical of La Paz. If you like
your food with a kick, all these dishes can be doused in llajua - a hot sauce made from to-
matoes, small chilli peppers ( locotos ) and herbs.
The comida típica of the valley regions around Sucre, Cochabamba and Tarija shares many
ingredients with the traditional cuisines of the Altiplano, but combines them with a wider
range of fresh fruit and vegetables and tends to be spicier. Maize features strongly, either
ground into a flour and used as the basis for thick soups known as laguas , or boiled on
the cob and served with fresh white cheese - a classic combination known as choclo con
queso . Meat and chicken are often cooked in spicy sauces known as picantes . Pork also fea-
tures strongly: deliciously deepfried as chicharrón , roasted as lechón or made into chorizos
chuquisaceños (spicy sausages originating from Sucre). A popular valley mainstay served
throughout Bolivia is pique a lo macho , a massive plate of chopped beef and sausage, pota-
toes (or chips), onions, tomatoes and chillies.
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