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South American cuisine has many influences, due to the ethnic fusion of South America. The most characteristic are Native American, African, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Indian-South Asian. However, there is a mix of European, North American, and indigenous cuisines. [1] The customs and food products greatly vary [2] according to the physically distinct regions.
The Amazon basin of South America provides a plethora of fresh fish and tropical fruits. [3] The Pacific Ocean provides a large amount of seafood, such as king crab (typically caught at the southern end of the continent), lobster (found in great quantities from the Juan Fernández Islands), and Antarctic krill, which was recently discovered. Tuna and tropical fish are caught all around the continent but are notably found in abundance near Easter Island.
The many plains on this continent make it rich for growing foods like cereals, potatoes and quinoa. In the Patagonia region in the south of Argentina, many people raise sheep and cattle. In Brazil, a traditional dish is feijoada , a stew consisting of beans with beef and pork.[ citation needed ] Rice and beans is also very common in Brazil. [4]
Peruvian cuisine is largely influenced by traditional Incan culture (see Incan cuisine). The consumption of carne asada is widespread throughout much of the continent.[ citation needed ] [lower-alpha 1] It is popular to grill in the open air as in asado or churrasco .
Shredded beef is common throughout South America and Latin America and is served with a variety of foods. [5]
The food of the Andes is highly influenced by the indigenous peoples. The principal foods continue to be corn, potatoes [6] and other tubers. The meats most characteristic of this zone are the llama (Peru) and the guinea pig (Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and the Argentine northwest). In areas where there is fresh water, trout is consumed.
Chupe andino refers to various stews [7] and soups that are prepared in the Andes mountains region. One of the most important drinks is chicha . [8] Important dishes include humitas , locro, chanfaina , arepas , quimbolitos (dessert tamales), and peppers. A famous dish from the Peruvian Andes is pachamanca . [9] From the mixture of German, native cuisine, and the Chiloé Archipelago in the southern Andes comes valdiviano and curanto .
The wetter areas of Peru produce sugar cane, lemon, bananas, and oranges. Chancaca is popular as well as carbonara , sancocho , huevos quimbos , potato pie, and ch'arki .
The pampas have the most Italian and Spanish influences. In Argentina, they are the center of the three typical Argentine dishes dulce de leche , asado (churrasco in Brazil), and milanesa .
Argentine pizza is different from Italian pizza, being closer to calzones. Pasta and polenta are common in Argentina and on the Pampas generally. Empanadas and choripán are very popular fast food in Argentina and Uruguay. Churros, ensaïmada , alfajor , Spanish tortillas with potato, meatballs, sopa de mondongo , and puchero are Spanish-derived Pampas cuisine. Mate is popular on the Pampas. [10]
The tropical region of the continent is divided into two distinct areas, the coastal areas of the Atlantic and the Pacific and the Amazon area, each with its distinct cuisines. Much of the fruits that are considered to be exotic are common in the tropical forests and fields, such as guava, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, and elderberry.
The climate and geography also favour a great variety of crops: potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, complemented with meat and fish; grains, principally rice, corn, and wheat and beans.
In the coastal area ceviche , tostones or patacón, arepa , chipa , sancocho , pabellón criollo , bandeja paisa , guatita , and sopa paraguaya are common dishes.
In Brazil, foods such as feijoada , [11] arroz carreteiro (cart riders rice), coxinha , [12] and farofa are common throughout the country. The Brazilian state of Bahia has its own cuisine which has heavy African influences.[ citation needed ]
The Amazon area is known for its utilization of native meats such as the capybara, turtles, peccary, and paca. Common dishes are juane , tacacho , tacacá . There are a wide variety of fruits native to the Amazon with which a great variety of drinks are prepared.
As early as the 1950s, Latin American cuisine have been transported to the Southeast coast, where Sydney is. [13] [ better source needed ] Now there is a slight selection of Latin American restaurants that has spread across the country.[ citation needed ]
Early South American restaurants in the United States included Caso do Brazil in Reseda, California, which opened in 1955, [14] and the Machu Picchu nightclub in Miami, Florida, which opened in 1963, serving Peruvian dishes such as ceviche and anticuchos . [15] South American foods are increasingly imported into the United States, especially Brazilian foods such as guarana , guava paste, and cachaça (an ingredient in the caipirinha cocktail). [16]
Brazilian cuisine is the set of cooking practices and traditions of Brazil, and is characterized by European, Amerindian, African, and Asian influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country's mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences.
Chorizo is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite different from each other, occasionally leading to confusion or disagreements over the names and identities of the products in question.
Hash is a dish consisting of chopped meat, potatoes, and fried onions. The name is derived from French: hacher, meaning 'to chop'. It originated as a way to use up leftovers. In the U.S. by the 1860s, a cheap restaurant was called a "hash house" or "hashery."
Latin American cuisine is the typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America. Latin America is a highly racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse with varying cuisines. Some items typical of Latin American cuisine include maize-based dishes arepas, empanadas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments. Sofrito, a culinary term that originally referred to a specific combination of sautéed or braised aromatics, exists in Latin American cuisine. It refers to a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Rice, corn, pasta, bread, plantain, potato, yucca, and beans are also staples in Latin American cuisine.
Asado is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla; all of which are cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla. Usually, red wine and side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero.
A churrascaria is a place where meat is cooked in churrasco style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese word for "barbecue".
Churrasco is the Portuguese and Spanish name for grilled beef prominent in South American and Iberian cuisines, and in particular in Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The term is also used in other Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries for a variety of different meat products.
The milanesa is a variation of the Lombard veal Milanese, or the Austrian Wiener schnitzel, where generic types of breaded cutlet preparations are known as a milanesa.
Carne asada is grilled and sliced beef, usually skirt steak, flap steak, or flank steak though chuck steak can also be used. It is usually marinated then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor. Carne asada can be served on its own or as an ingredient in other dishes.
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences mainly from the indigenous population, including the Inca, and cuisines brought by immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
Indigenous cuisine of the Americas includes all cuisines and food practices of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Contemporary Native peoples retain a varied culture of traditional foods, along with the addition of some post-contact foods that have become customary and even iconic of present-day Indigenous American social gatherings. Foods like cornbread, turkey, cranberry, blueberry, hominy, and mush have been adopted into the cuisine of the broader United States population from Native American cultures.
Anticuchos are popular and inexpensive meat dishes that originated in the Andes during the pre-Columbian era, specifically in the Antisuyu region of the Tawantinsuyu. The modern dish was adapted during the colonial era between the 16th and 19th centuries and can now be found in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, where they are known as "chuzos" or "carne en palito".
Canarian cuisine refers to the typical dishes and ingredients in the cuisine of the Canary Islands, and it constitutes an important element in the culture of its inhabitants. Its main features are the freshness, variety, simplicity, and richness of its ingredients, the mix of seafood and meat dishes, its cultural influences and the low knowledge of it by the rest of the world. Canarian cuisine is influenced by other cultures, especially that of the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands (Guanches), and has influenced Latin American cuisine.
Papas rellenas are the most popular type of croquettes in Latin American regions such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and the Caribbean. The first printed Latin American recipes date to the late 19th century, during a time when French cuisine was influencing the region.
Honduran cuisine is a fusion of Mesoamerican, Spanish, Caribbean and African cuisines. There are also dishes from the Garifuna people. Coconut and coconut milk are featured in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include sopa de caracol, fried fish, tamales, carne asada and baleadas. Other popular dishes include meat roasted with chismol and carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, and fried fish with pickled onions and jalapeños. In the coastal areas and the Bay Islands, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, including with coconut milk. Among the soups the Hondurans enjoy are bean soup, mondongo soup, seafood soups and beef soups. Generally all of these soups are mixed with plantains, yuca, and cabbage, and served with corn tortillas.
A salchipapa or salchipapas is a South American fast food dish commonly consumed as street food, typically consisting of thinly sliced pan-fried beef sausages and French fries, mixed together with a savory coleslaw on the side. The dish's name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words salchicha (sausage) and papa (potato). The dish is served with different sauces, such as ketchup and mustard, crema de aceituna, along with aji or chili peppers. Sometimes a fried egg or cheese is added on top; it can also be served with tomato and lettuce, and is occasionally garnished with oregano.
Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of traditional Spanish cuisine, Chilean Mapuche culture and local ingredients, with later important influences from other European cuisines, particularly from Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for the variety of flavours and ingredients, with the country's diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits and vegetables. The long coastline and the peoples' relationship with the Pacific Ocean add an immense array of seafood to Chilean cuisine, with the country's waters home to unique species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae, thanks to the oxygen-rich water carried in by the Humboldt Current. Chile is also one of the world's largest producers of wine and many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by local wines. The confection dulce de leche was invented in Chile and is one of the country's most notable contributions to world cuisine.
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