The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Bolivian Foods. If you manage to be in an Bolivian restaurant or you are visiting Bolivia, I recommend the following:
1. Pique Macho
Legend has it that a group of drunken workers visited a closed restaurant one night and asked for something to eat. The owner reluctantly threw everything she had left into a frying pan with lots of spicy locoto and told them to “bite if you’re macho”. A fine amalgam of hot dogs, steak, onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, vinegar and other spices, garnished with boiled eggs and salad. Another Cochabamba dish with lots of mayonnaise and sauce, just to tickle the tongue with pleasure.
2. Sopa de Maní
A hearty soup with chicken or beef, along with vegetables and spices. Served with chips and hot sauce, this is a perfect product, especially for the holidays.
3. Singani Sour
It is the national drink of Bolivia, an eau-de-vie made from Muscat of Alexandria grapes also used to make Spanish fortified Muscat wines. There are several types of singani. The high altitude or grand singani is made from grapes harvested above 1600 metres above sea level, in the appellation areas. The first selection singani comes from the alcoholic fermentation of the grape wine and the second selection singani is made from the unpressed pomace.
4. Mondongo
Sucre’s most famous dish, mondongo is a spicy pork stew accompanied by ground locoto, garlic and peppers, served over a generous portion of corn. Like fricase, mondongo is a popular weekend choice, as it is said to provide relief from a long drinking session.
5. Jankaquipa
It is one of the region’s typical ancestral dishes, so you can’t miss it for anything in the world. It is the perfect soup because it is full of vegetables and pulses with a creaminess that makes it very appetising. Perfect for lunch or dinner, it’s so quick and easy to prepare that you’ll gasp with every bite.
6. Chorizo
The traditional sausages are made of ground meat, spices and other condiments, served with bread and mote. One of the best occasions to enjoy typical Bolivian food and dances is the Oruro Carnival, the most important festive and cultural event in the country, declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity. During the Oruro Carnival, tens of thousands of chorizos are eaten, especially in the Plaza de La Rancheria.
7. Api
Api is a typical drink of the Andean highlands. In Bolivia, it is consumed in the Andean area of the departments of La Paz, Oruro, Potosí, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba. The preparation of this drink is made with ground purple corn, sugar, plus some cinnamon sticks. An accompaniment for the api is the buñuelo, cake or llaucha. It is also served mixed with tojorí or white api.
8. Chicharrón
Maybe not so good for the arteries, but delicious nonetheless. Chicharrones are heavily salted and deep-fried chunks of beef, chicken or pork, usually still dripping in fat. Often accompanied by choclo – a type of corn local to the region – they are a pleasant, if somewhat unhealthy, snack.
9. K'alaphurka
More than a dish, it is a method of cooking as the food is cooked or heated with smoking stones before serving. The name comes from the Aymara phrase “qala phurk’a”, which means “stew or dish prepared with burning stones”. In Bolivia it represents a traditional recipe from the Potosí area and is a lawa (indigenous Andean soup) prepared with charque or beef, chilli, potatoes and corn flour. The dish is served with a burning stone in the centre, which gives the soup a unique toasted flavour.
10. Fritanga de Cerdo
The spicy fritanga is the most iconic dish of Chuquisaca. A typical recipe is prepared with pork meat, ground red pepper, garlic, water and salt to taste, and potatoes are also added. The pork is cut into pieces and cooked in water with spices. When the meat softens, the pork is drained and fried in a frying pan.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional South American Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.