Latin America is a vast region and is so diverse from one country to another. One thing that is evident among all of the countries is the great culinary delights that are not only flavourful but also rich in tradition. Every country has distinct dishes made with a unique combination of fresh ingredients and popular regional condiments like guacamole, pebre, and pico de gallo. However, some dishes transcend borders.
In this article, we will take a salivating tour of the region’s cuisine, and here are some of the top dishes:
Churrasco
Churrasco is a Portuguese and Spanish term for beef or grilled meat, which is a prominent part of Latin America cuisine. It is most popular in countries such as Brazil, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and Colombia. A churrascaria (steakhouse) is a restaurant that serves grilled meat. Most of the time, restaurants have all-you-can-eat churrasco buffets available to their patrons, and it involves waiters slicing meat while placing it on the patron’s plates. The practice is known as espeto corrido or rodizio and it is typical of Brazil.
Tamal
Tamal (or tamale in English) is a traditional Mesoamerican food that is made from masa (corn dough) which is filled with meat, vegetables, cheese, fruits, or chilies. It is then cooked by steaming when wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf which is, of course, discarded when eating. This dish is popular across Latin American cuisine. It goes by the name huminta in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Peru. The shape, wrapping, and fillings of the tamales may differ from country to country.
Tacos
Tacos can come either as crunchy or soft, and whichever you choose, it will be real delight munching on it. It is made of a wheat or corn tortilla that is rolled around a filling. There are a variety of things that can be used as a filling for a taco, and they include chicken, beef, pork, cheese, vegetables, and seafood. No knives or forks are typically needed to eat tacos. Some of the best accompaniments for tacos are avocado or guacamole, salsa or chili pepper, tomatoes, coriander, and lettuce. It’s so yummy! You cannot miss eating tacos in a picturesque restaurant like Vamos whenever you are in Melbourne.
Brazilian Feijoada
This is a traditional Brazilian stew that is made of black beans and pork, or at times beef. Most of the time, it is served with vegetables, rice, and several types of sausages. Some popular sausage choices include morcilla and chourico.farofai, which is a food made from roasted manioc flour and a common side dish that is served with the Brazilian feijoada. With feijoada, you can enjoy Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail which is a blend of brandy, lime, ice, and sugar.
Conclusion
The variety of top Latin dishes is wide and you can never lack something that you will enjoy and leave yourself yearning for another chance to eat it again. Other top recipes in the cuisine include patacones, which are very tasty Colombian plantain chips, and Argentinian barbeque, among others.
