Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the
tropical lowlands
of the Amazon and Santa Cruz,
plantain
and
yucca
(similar to a
yam) generally take the place of potatoes alongside rice as the mainstay sources of carbohy-
drate. One classic breakfast staple is
masaco
: mashed plantain or yucca mixed with shredded
charque
and fried. The lowlands are cattle-ranching regions, so good-quality, relatively in-
expensive
beef
features strongly. This is usually barbecued or fried as steak, or cooked on
skewers in massive kebabs (
pacumutus)
. Another classic lowland dish is
locro de gallina
, a
rich chicken soup.
Game
or bushmeat is also common in the lowlands:
jochi
(agouti),
tatú
(armadillo),
saino
(peccary) and
venado
(venison) all frequently appear on menus, though for
conservation reasons it is better not to eat them.
Drinks
Known as
refrescos
, fizzy drinks are found all over Bolivia, including international brands
like Coca-Cola and a wide range of nationally produced beverages. Bottled processed
fruit
juice
from the Cochabamba region, sold under the name “Jugos del Valle”, is a good altern-
ative. The word
refresco
is also used to denote home-made soft drinks, usually fruit-based,
served from street stalls.
Mineral water
, both sparkling (
agua mineral con gas
) and still (
sin
gas
), is fairly widely available, as is less expensive purified water labelled “Naturagua” - a
good thing, as it's best not to drink the tap water. Make sure the seals on all bottles are intact
when you buy them.
The delicious variety of tropical fruits grown in Bolivia is available as
juices
(
jugos
) from
market stalls, and freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice is also sold on the streets from
handcarts.
Tea
(
té
) and
coffee
(
café
) are available almost everywhere, though the latter is
rarelypreparedtothestrengthfavouredbymostEuropeans,andsometimes comeswithsugar
already added - a shame, as Bolivia produces some excellent coffee.
Café con leche
is a big
glass of hot milk flavoured with coffee. Many Bolivians prefer herbal teas, known as
mates
;
mate de coca
is the best known.
Hot chocolate
is usually very good too.
CHICHA COCHABAMBINA
No visit to the Cochabamba is complete without a taste of
chicha Cochabambina
, a thick,
mildly alcoholic beer made of fermented maize which is available throughout the region
wherever you see a white flag or bunch of flowers raised on a pole outside a house. Con-
sidered sacred by the Incas, its tart, yeasty flavour is definitely an acquired taste, and it can
play havoc with the digestion.
Alcoholic drinks
Locally produced
alcoholic drinks
are widely available, and drinking is a serious pastime.
Drinking with locals can be great fun, but shouldn't be entered into lightly, as slipping away
