So what do they eat in Bolivia?
I looked online to see what people who've experienced the cuisine of Bolivia thought of the food and to just see their opinions and sadly found that quite a few people found it hard to eat there, wasn't full of substance and flavor, and didn't fancy it too much. I completely disagree. How could you have trouble finding food in Bolivia when there is food everywhere you go?! On and off the street. I wonder how many of those people actually went out of their way to sample what this country offers? Did they stick to the touristy restaurants that serve more international cuisines? Which oddly, I didn't really see any of those types of restaurants..I consider Bolivia far from touristy. I don't recall an McD's while there -- WOO HOO! Thankfully there were those who tried to defend the country and said there is a staple cuisine there and you didn't look hard enough!
Some of the main staples of the Bolivian cuisine are: corn, potatoes, and beans. Some local foods, grains, meats, and dishes are: aji, chicha, locro, quinoa, pasta, rice, anticuchos, saltenas (empanadas), duck, beef, chicken, pork, guinea pig, llama, alpaca, ispi, trucha (trout), frog, ispi, sopas, chicharron, chuno, majao, humitas, pacumutu, and llajwa.
Personally, I loved the food there. Actually, I really miss the food that I had in Bolivia. Very comforting. Filling. Flavorful. Every dish is full of soul. Love.
I remember every cook (pretty much all women~didn't see a single male chef in the kitchen) who tried to entice me with their food, always had a smile on their face, proud of what they were making, and wanted to give me the chance to feel their love through their dish. Every. single. time. And when I told them that I loved what I was eating, you could just see the joy and love in their eyes knowing that they are being appreciated for their hard work in, what is known as the 'poorest/least developed country in South America', which I also disagree with that statement. It may not look perfect, but there is so much love and good people there, that I think overpowers the looks of the city.
I actually had two of the same dishes from this one female cook on my last two days in Bolivia. Normally, I won't eat the same dish twice for memorable reasons, but I ended up really craving it so much that I made it my last meal in Bolivia. The fact that this lady not only remembered me and served me the same dish that I had wanted again, made her so incredibly happy. You could see it in her eyes.
I've recreated a few things I've had there and attempted to recreate my favorite dish, mentioned above, but it just ends up not tasting the same.:( That and the fish I had there is most likely not found here. If anyone finds Ispi here in California, let me know and I will LOVE you forever! Couldn't get enough of that tiny fried fish! And yes, I did try to recreate it with smelt, but it didn't come close enough. Ahhh!
This isn't everything I ate there but just some of the things I indulged in while I was in the beautiful and hard to breathe in country of Bolivia, The altitude really does affect your camera's battery (and your lungs) so it was not with me for some meals. Hope this makes you hungry:
So here we have what I call home cooked meals in a 'mall food court~parking garage' family setting. This is located over what is supposed to be a mall in La Paz. You won't find international food here. And definitely not touristy. (I don't consider Bolivia really touristy.) More of a locals area. I enjoyed eating here because it's a completely different eating experience. Street food is just as good here as going to this 'eating area'. Each small family style eatery has one 'picnic' table and a small stove next to it to go with it.
Locals will just come out of nowhere, sit down, order their meal, and sit with family or with strangers in this family setting. You eat your food, take your time because lunch is important to the Bolivians, pay, and leave. I loved sitting down ordering and then watching many other Bolivians sitting down at the table next to and across from me and waiting for a really good meal to be served. I loved that I was not treated differently because I was the only American at the table. Apparently this was a problem to some I came across but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Actually when it came to food, they didn't mind me there. Everyone is equal when it came to eating. Wish the border patrol treated us the same way! :-p But I believe I already mentioned that in a previous blog post 'Misconceptions'.
She, like all other female cooks here that I experienced, knew what she was doing!
Typical prices for meals. Very cheap eats to be had here. 5 Bs = ~75 cents. 10 Bs = ~US$1.50.
Fruit drinks are prominent in Bolivia, as in all South American countries. Need to just start doing that here while I'm in the US. My favorite blend here is Cherimoya-Mango-Maracuya-Banana.
Ice Cream here is everywhere you go. Sadly, I didn't partake in it because I've been lactose intolerant since 2009 after probably drinking too much te con leche in Argentina---which I don't regret one sip! May sound iffy and trust me I wish it wasn't the case! Apparently you can become lactose intolerant for no good reason. :-p I will bring lactose pills but I prefer to eat ice cream from a shop now wherever I go. I did however, ask some friends what they thought about it and they said it's okay. Doesn't really have the taste of ice cream. A lot of people agreed upon this as well. Maybe next time...
I did succumb to the jello food cart! Not bad. :) Not really a Bolivian thing, but I'll take it! ~15 cents
Favorite snacks.
Mate de coca. Comforting. Warm. Kind of helped with the altitude. I don't think I ever got used to the altitude there though.
Sopa de mani
Use this salsa, llajwa, in your soup and entree. Hot and oh so good.
Milanesa con papas y plantains fritas y arroz.
Sopa de quinoa
My first taste of alpaca. Tender, interesting, and I liked it!
Group meal of beef, quinoa, vegetables, banana, and Coca-Cola.
Not really a soda drinker but for some reason, I ALWAYS crave it when I travel! Bad habit. :)
So shwarma didn't come from the Bolivians but they do add their own special Bolivian twist and I LOVE IT. They make it their own by adding llajwa into the garlic sauce and I am a big fan. So so good.
And last, but not least...
Again, loved adding llawja to everything.
My favorite dish. No double take here. Fried fish. Seriously, who doesn't love fried fish?!? Ispi y Trucha con choclo, chuno morado, chuno, y lima. I want this right. now.
With all these dishes and the many more not featured on here proves that the Bolivians not only know what they are doing in the kitchen but there are some good eats to be enjoyed and loved here. Give them a chance and don't dismiss it until you try it. :)
