Bolivia: Recipes and Cuisine

Men at a demonstration in La Paz, Bolivia

Located high in the Andes, the cuisine of Bolivia combines the traditions of the indigenous Quechua and Aymara population with many of the ingredients and cooking methods of the smaller European population. Popular Bolivian dishes include cheese-filled salteñas, tamal-like humintas and antichuchos, or grilled beef heart. The potato reigns supreme, with hundreds of varieties available, including the naturally freeze-dried chuño. Other common ingredients in Bolivian cooking include ají peppers, peanuts, yuca (cassava), corn and rice.

Typical Bolivian Dishes

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A list of typical Bolivian dishes and foods. Use it to help you plan a Bolivian-style meal, party or festival.

Appetizers

Humintas (Steamed corncakes)
Pukacapas (Spicy cheese pastries)
Salteñas (Stuffed pastries)

Soups and Stews

Chairo (Meat, chuño and vegetable stew)
Lagua de Plátano Verde (Green plantain stew)
Locro (Chicken, rice and plantain soup)
Picana de Mariscos (Seafood stew)
Sopa de Camaroncillo (Dried shrimp soup)
Sopa de Maní (Peanut soup)
Sopa de Pirañas (Pirana soup)

Eggs and Dairy

Tortilla de Huevo de Peta (Tortoise egg omelet)

Poultry

Chanca (Chicken with yellow pepper and onion sauce)
Picante de Pollo (Chicken in spicy pepper sauce)
Pastel de Choclo con Pollo (Chicken and cornmeal pie)
Pavo Relleno (Stuffed roast turkey)
Qoqo de Pollo (Stewed chicken)

Meats

Charquecan (Dried beef with potatoes, corn and eggs)
Chorizo Beniano (Spicy sausage)
Fritanga Chuquisqueña (Pork and egg stew)
Keperi Beniano (Beef with peppers)
Majao (Rice with dried beef)
Masako (Dried beef with plantains and cheese)
Pacumutu (Grilled beef with yuca and cheesy rice)
Parilladas (Grilled meats)
Saice (Ground beef and onions over potatoes)
Sarapate de Peta (Tortoise meat with plantains and herbs)
Silpancho (Breaded beef cutlets)

Fish and Seafood

Pacu Frito (Fried fish with yuca and a salad)
Surubí al Horno (Baked fish with yuca and rice)
Trucha à la Crema (Trout with cream sauce)

Vegetables and Beans

Chuño Phuti (Dehydrated potato)
Escabeche (Pickled vegetables)
Papas (Potatoes)
Papas a la Huancaína (Potatoes with chile-peanut sauce)
Pejtu de Habas (Stewed fava beans)
Plato Paceño (La Paz dinner of corn, beans, potatoes and cheese)
Quesumacha (Potatoes with cheese)
Yuca Frita (Fried yuca)

Breads and Grains

Cuñapes (Yuca and cheese bread)
Majao (Rice with dried beef)
Pan de Arroz (Rice, yuca and cheese bread)
Quinoa (Andean grain)

Sauces and Condiments

Chive (Toasted yuca flour condiment)
Jallpahuaica (Tomato-pepper sauce)
Llajua (Spicy chile-tomato sauce)

Desserts

Cocadas (Coconut sweets)
Helado de Canela (Cinnamon ice cream)
Leche Asada (Caramel custard)
Manjar Blanco (Caramel spread)
Pan Dulce (Sweet Christmas bread)
Tawa Tawas (Sweet fritters)

Beverages

Api (Purple corn beverage)
Biblia (Bolivian eggnog)
Cerveza (Beer)
Chicha de Jora (Fermented corn beverage)
Chicha de Maní (Peanut beverage)
Maté de Coca (Coca leaf tea)
Pisco Sour (Brandy cocktail)
Singanis (Local brandy)
Yungueño (Orange cocktail)

Breakfast

Salteñas (Stuffed pastries)

Bolivian Recipes

Papa a la Huancaína

(Peruvian potatoes with chile-cheese sauce)

Sopa de Maní

(Bolivian peanut soup)

Manjar Blanco

(Bolivian, Chilean, Peruvian caramel spread; see Dulce de Leche recipe)

Salteñas

(Bolivian cheese-stuffed pastries; see Empanadas variations)

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