Food & Drink

Get hundreds of recipes for the best South American food dishes from About.com's Guide to South American Food and Cooking.

Recipes, food preparation, and tips with a Caribbean flavor from About.com's Guide to Latin Caribbean Food.

The cuisine of South America stems from cultural backgrounds, available produce foods and cooking styles. You'll find local favorites varying from country to country, even within regions, but you'll also find international favorites and the ubiquitous fast food places.

Take a closer look at the ingredients and native foods abundant in South American cooking, from apptetizers to desserts, with a toohsome array in between.

Your next latte, expresso, cafe au lait, or plain cup of coffee might just have come from South America, one of the world's producers of fine coffee

Brazil's national drink, made with limes, sugar, water and the sugar cane brandy known as cachaça is an international favorite. Check out these recipes in various languages and enjoy a taste of Brazil wherever you are!

These Latin American pastries, filled with seafood, meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit are wildly popular. Check out these recipes, or send in your choice for the perfect empanada.

Where to eat and what you need to know about breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Hot chile peppers come in many varieties and are a staple ingredient in many of our favorite ethnic foods. Did you know that Capsicum, the official name for peppers, comes originally from Central and South America? Learn more about these zippy heat pods that Columbus sent back to Spain to add spice to home cooking.

Pisco is the almost national drink in Peru and Chile. First created in Peru, now it's the subject of intense discussion between Peru and Chile: who owns the appelation rights? Some people don't care, they simply enjoy the product!

Visitors to the Andean regions might turn up their noses at being served cuy, or guinea pig, but this is a traditional entree and served a number of ways, but almost always with a spicy, pepper sauce and potoates or rice. Try it - you just might like it!

No matter where you travel in Latin America, you'll find grilled meat, carne asada, on the menu. Seafood and poultry are also grilled at parrillas, restaurants specializing in grilled foods.

One of South America's most favorite beverages, yerba mate is an herbal tea with medicinal properties affecting overall health, vigor and endurance. Sharing a mate with close friends and family strenghtens the bonds of friendship and good will.

Latin American cuisine blends ingredients found in South and Central America with traditional recipes from other countries, adds its own salsa and sizzle, and comes up with an array of flavors and cuisine all its own which you can try at home.

Typical Colombian food according to each region in the country.

Where to eat in South America

What to see and do in Cafayate

Guide to Ecuadorian food.

Cities in South America with Vegetarian Food