Bolivian Diets

Bolivian food is as rich and diverse as the country itself. Like most countries, the "typical" Bolivian diet varies depending on region, income and the availability of certain foods. Whether you're a world traveler or simply an epicurean looking for a new cuisine to try, the Bolivian diet offers a variety of tastes to suit any palate. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Regional Staples

Most Bolivian meals consist of some kind of meat, served with rice, potatoes or vegetables if they are available. The Andes mountains run through Bolivia, neatly subdividing the country into highland and lowland regions. Because of these geographical differences, some foods may be available to people in a particular region, while others may not. Potatoes are more commonly eaten in the highlands, while rice, plantains and yucca are common in the lowlands. People who live in the highland regions have less access to fruit and vegetables than lowlanders do, and wild animals such as llama and armadillo are commonly eaten in the highlands. Bread is also common throughout the country, thanks to the large wheat fields located near Santa Cruz.

Meal Habits

Regardless of regional differences, Bolivian breakfasts are fairly simple. Most people eat some sort of a roll or muffin with coffee or tea, while children eat toast with butter or jelly. Fruits such as mangoes, passion fruit and prickly pear cactus are also common breakfast staples. Some urban dwellers stop to purchase a cup of chicken soup from a street vendor on their way to work. Lunch, called almuerzo in Spanish, is the most important meal of the day for city residents. Most restaurants have lunch specials that consist of an appetizer, soup, a beef or chicken dish and dessert. A tea-like drink called mate is commonly served as a digestive after meals. In rural areas, farmers and other laborers tend to eat a large meal in the morning, usually consisting of potatoes and a type of grain called quinoa.

Popular Recipes

No matter where you travel in Bolivia, there are some dishes that are common throughout, and are also commonly served in Bolivian restaurants in the U.S. One of these dishes is fricase, a pork soup with hot yellow peppers. Another is silpancho, which consists of pounded beef with a cooked egg on top. Urban dwellers also enjoy "street food," the Bolivian version of fast food. Most major cities have carts where people can buy bread, soup or small oval pies known as saltenas. A saltena is similar in style to the Mexican empanada, a fried pastry stuffed with various fillings. Saltenas are meant to be eaten on the go and are very popular in most Bolivian cities.

Desserts

No meal would be complete without dessert, and Bolivian cuisine offers a wide array of desserts to choose from. One of the most common is tojori, made with corn, cinnamon and sugar. The corn is mashed up and mixed with the other ingredients, making a porridge-like concoction. Another dessert, called thaya, is made from apple puree with sugared water, which is spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Thaya is most common in the highlands and rural areas.