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The spud works its way into several Bolivian dishes, sometimes freeze-dried, sometimes boiled, sometimes sweet - between that and rice, you won't be short of carbohydrates. Ají (hot pepper) and banana are popular ingredients in Bolivia cuisine, too. You might be tempted to try unusual meat, such as peccary and armadillo, but be aware they're endangered game. Alcohol is never in short supply!
Bolivian Cuisine - Savoury dishes
Silpancho - Fried meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and served with rice, egg - and fried banana. Not as bad as you might think. |
Sajta de pollo - A spicy chicken dish with freeze-dried potatoes and other vegetables.
Chorizo - Spicy red sausage that you might have tried if you've been to a tapas restaurant or Spain. Sucre claims to produce the best chorizo.
Chairo - A stew/soup of meat, vegetables, corn and wheat.
Plato paceño - Another pile - this time of corn on the cob, cheese, potatoes and broad beans, from La Paz. Locals add llajua - hot sauce.
Locro - Great for warming up after a chilly night, locro is a very thick soup of corn, beef (look out for bones!), chorizo and vegetables. |
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Pique a lo macho - A large pile of fried, chopped sausage, steak, tomatoes, potatoes and chilli peppers, served with chips. An excellent fry-up substitute, particularly if you're hungry. The ‘macho' is presumably a challenge for anyone wanting to prove their masculinity by finishing such a large dish - if you don't feel the need to prove anything, you can just have a pique
(a smaller helping).
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Bolivian Cuisine - Snacks
Salteñas - Similar to Cornish pasties but with a spicier sauce, salteñas are a popular snack. So popular in fact that you'll find salteñerias - shops selling nothing but them and maybe accompanying drinks. They're almost always eaten in the morning rather than the afternoon.
Anticuchos - A kebab-type dish of skewered beef and potato in a liberal dousing of vinegar and hot pepper.
Bolivian Cuisine - SaucesLlajua - Held in the same regard as ketchup is in Britain, llajua is made from chillies, tomato and herbs.
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Bolivian Cuisine - Drinks
Freshly squeezed fruit juice and rich, thick hot chocolate are both liquid treats. Api, made from nut-flavoured quinoa, corn, cinnamon, lemon, sugar and cloves is often poured at breakfast time. A speciality of Cochabamba is chicha, a beer made from corn that is…interesting. Singani is a kind of brandy that can also be drunk with lemonade as chuflay.
Beware of anything that comes out of metal cans, especially at festivals - it could be pure alcohol, and really not worth the saving or the after effects!
If you are considering visiting Bolivia on a gap trip then you'll be able to sample Bolivian cuisine for yourself! Check out our Bolivia gap trip projects below.
A trip that combines an incredible variety of sights and experiences: living with an indigenous family, being awed by the world’s biggest salt lake, volunteering on a project, learning to speak Spanish, dancing salsa and much more.
Organise fun activities that allow orphans to enjoy themselves and be children again. Run painting, dancing, drawing, music or sport sessions, and help out with cooking, cleaning and feeding the children.
A brilliant way to learn enough of the language to take part in a Spanish-speaking project or to travel around South America. Small classes and living as part of a Bolivian family make learning fast and fun.
Help abandoned and vulnerable teenagers learn manual skills – their lifeline if they don’t go to university. You’ll be based in Sucre, a vibrant city where the colourful, native traditions are still in evidence.
Spend 5 months or more on an amazing gap year in Latin America. This programme provides all the structure you need, with lots of activities including Spanish lessons, volunteering with wildlife or disadvantaged street children.
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