Be prepared for your travel in South America with knowledge about the cuisine and food preparation. Browse through these resources for food and drink, customs, recipes that will bring the flavors of Latin America to your table.
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!
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
Recipes, food preparation and tips with a Caribbean flavor from my colleague.
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.
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!
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.
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.
"Yerba Mate (pronounced "Mah-Tay") is truly a remarkable beverage which ranks exceptionally high in nutritional content among brewed or steeped drink products. For pennies a serving, a cup of yerba provides more value and is more cost effective than many manufactured energy drinks or meal replacement options on the market."
Discussion of the plant, tea preparation with step by step photos, health benefits and comments by an avid enthusiast.
"Chile peppers were first cultivated in South America around 2300 BC by the Incas who called them "uchu" in the Quechua language and "huayca" in the Aymara language. In one of the Inca myths chile was believed to be one of brothers of the Incas creation known as "Agar-Uchu" or "Brother Chile Pepper", the brother of the first Incan king."
If you're having trouble with the Spanish or Brazilian/Portuguese recipes, you might try this translation service. The results might not be completely accurate, but you'll get the idea.
