Food-Loving:: Bolivian Food.

So for those of you who frequently read or happen to follow my blog know that Bolivia has a special place in my heart and is a truly unique place to me. I don't know for how long I've had this desire to have some good Bolivian food, but unfortunately there really isn't any great Bolivian restaurants here in the Pacific Northwest. So I did some internet research on Bolivian food in Florida.

And to my amaze I found a restaurant (Las Americas) that specializes in Bolivian cuisine in Little Havana, Miami. Eeek! I couldn't wait to try just about everything that was on the menu.

I had invited my mom to dinner and was truly excited about this because she has never had any Bolivian food other then the anticuchos (grilled beef hearts) I had made at home. Needless to say it was quite a feast. We started off with some salteñas-- a type of Bolivian baked empanada. I know I have mentioned in previous posts my love for these. Perhaps, I should try to make some on my own and share them on the blog.... what do you think?

Looking over on the menu I noticed that one of the soup specials for the day was sopa de mani (one of my favorite Bolivian soups), but the waitress soon informed me that they had just given another table the last order. So we ordered some bowls of sopa de quiona instead. Quinoa is a tiny yellow grain that is grown in the Bolivian highlands. An interesting little fact: the Incas held the crop to be quite sacred and actually referred to the quinoa as chisaya mama or "mother of all grains", the Inca emperor would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season by using "golden implements".

I wanted my mom to try a typical dish from the city of Cochabamba (side note: Cochabamba is definitely one of my favorite cities in Bolivia). This dish known as silpancho has quite a few different layers. The bottom of the plate consists of a base layer of rice, which is then followed by layers of potatoes, on top of all this is a super thin schnitzel-style meat, which is then covered with yet another mixed layer of chopped tomato, onion and parsley. All of this is then topped with either one or two fried eggs. Let me tell you when I first encountered this meal at Palacio del Silpancho in Cochabamba I was left a bit speechless and wasn't quite sure how I would finish it all. Las Americas Restaurant didn't disappoint.... it was pretty close in flavor to what can be found in Bolivia.

Plus we also had some pique macho, which is a meal that consists of chunks of beef, sausage (hot dog type) plus french-fry cut potatoes and to top it all off sliced boiled eggs, tomatoes, onions, olives and jalapeños. The entire dish is then finished with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Typically in Bolivia instead of the jalapeño, a locoto pepper garnishes the dish. This pepper is primarily found in Central and South America.

Along with the meal we had mocochinchi - a dehydrated peach cider. This is probably one of the (if not THE) most served beverages in Bolivia. You can find it in any region of Bolivia and is surprisingly quite sweet. In Bolivia you'll see this sold on street corners and in parks and plazas, usually in large glass jars, along side other drinks such as chicha and somó. So as you can tell that it was quite the feast and it definitely helped fill that craving I had for Bolivian food.

Bolivian food.

Last week, when I was putting together my blog post about my awayo earrings and how my travels to Bolivia have influenced my work. I stumbled upon some photos I had taken of food---more specifically Bolivian food and I'm now definitely craving some. haha. Too bad there really isn't any authentic Bolivian restaurants here in Washington. Here are just a few photos of all the lovely items that can be found at various markets throughout Bolivia:








One of the most common staple foods found throughout various regions of the world is potatoes and the origin of the potatoe is the Andean Mountains of South America. The potato was cultivated more than 6,000 years ago near Lake Titicaca, on the border between Perú and Bolivia, where still the greatest diversity of wild species can be found. The Aymara Indians developed over 200 varieties on the Titicaca Plateau at elevations above 10,000 feet.


This photo is of "chuños" or freeze-dried potatoes. Chuño is still produced the same way as it was in the time of the Incas.

The process for making chuño includes spreading the potatoes out on the ground on frosty nights. During the day the potatoes are covered with straw to protect against the burning rays of the sun. This is what causes to the potatoes to be completely white. After exposure to several nights of frost, the potatoes are then trampled by foot to eliminate any remaining moisture the potatoe might have retained as well as to remove the skins. After this, the potatoes are exposed to the cold for two additional nights. This basic freeze-dry process is the starting point for two varieties of chuño: black and white.

I really do think that food is a great way to learn more about the culture, history, and people of a country-- thus I believe you should try everything. And by everything, I mean everything from lamb's brain to tripe. Really....you might be surprised by how delicious some things might taste.



that's me...


Here is one of my favorite Bolivian pastries....


Salteñas! Salteñas are delicious pastries that are filled with your choice of meat: beef, pork or chicken mixed in a sweet, slightly spice or very spice sauce. The pastries include green peas, pieces of boiled egg, a black olive, some raisins and a few other ingredients.

Street vendors are another great way to get a feel of what is typically eaten in a certain region.


This is another item I am craving. Don't get me wrong, I have tried making my own anticuchos de corazon or beef hearts here in the states. But these street vendors really have some sort of special secret since they taste so delicious there. Anticuchos can be readily found on streetcarts and street food stalls (anticucheras).


The anticuchos often come with a boiled potato on the end of the skewer...


Tomorrow, I'll get back to some photos of a few of the pieces from the 80's revisited series!