The food - Part 1

We only have a couple of days left in Latin America (and it's raining cats and dogs outside) – so we thought this would be a good opportunity to summarise some of the food experiences we have had.

Of course, Latin American cuisine is as valid a term as European cuisine would be. Apologies to all South & Central American chefs & food stall owners for this classic case of over-simplification – we are aware it's a snapshot only. 


Let's start with the good stuff, the proteins. Typical protein sources of course vary by country and region.  

I'm sure it doesn't shock you that in Argentina, where there is plenty of space and lots of grass for cows, barbecued beef typically is the main source of protein. In fact, Atkins Diet has been further developed there to include beef only. No other proteins. No carbs at all. And salad... well, that's for rabbits, as our friend Esteban put it elegantly. Being the nerd that I am, I even checked the stats. Argentines indeed are the world's leading beef eaters – 64.6 kg per capita annually (2009 figures, source: USDA). Even my trying hard couldn't push the EU-27 figure above 16.9 kg. In China, the average is only 4.3 kg p.a. (what a market potential!). When you taste the beef in Argentina, you understand why.


The 'gaucho' region in Southern Brazil has a similarly carnivorous diet. I already mentioned the amazing all-the-beef-you-can-eat churrascarias in an earlier post. Unless you change the flag or sign on your table to 'I'm about to explode', you will get served more and more meat. Unlike in Argentina, though, there are side dishes and salads. Ha-ha, rabbits.

In the Amazon, local fish clearly is the protein source numero uno. In many parts, even chicken (which until now I had thought could be 'produced' anywhere really) has to be imported. Maybe it's because the snakes would eat them all.

In Colombia outside the Amazon, protein sources are more balanced and include - besides the standard chicken - pork, beef, and fish. In Panama & Costa Rica, chicken seems to be more dominant again, with seafood more common at the coast (surprise, surprise).


Moving on to the energy source of the poor, carbohydrates.

Probably the one thing that most Latin American cuisines have in common is their main carb source: rice & beans. Arroz con frijoles. Also called pinto. Argentina again is an outlier, since a steak there typically would not be accompanied by rice & beans, but by more meat.

In Brazil & Colombia in particular, there are some carbs which are not common in the Western world. Roots like manioc or yucca are very popular, and can be eaten in large chunky bits or processed as a flour. Corn, on the other hand, was less prominent than we had anticipated.

Our personal favourite carb source in Latin American food, however, is banana. There are 2 (Colombians apparently even differentiate 3) main types of bananas. Bananas (in LA Spanish) are the type of bananas known in Europe & the USA, you know, Boris Becker's favourite Wimbledon break snack. Plátanos (cooking bananas) are different, and are typically served fried, cooked, or barbecued, which makes them taste even sweeter. Sweet.  

It is striking that a classic meal in most Latin American countries would comprise not only one carb source (like e.g. rice) but rather two or more (like rice with beans and french fries and fried bananas with some chicken). Not exactly a light cuisine. As an example, try this traditional Colombian dish (also note the size of that dish in comparison to my finger): lots of rice & beans, fried bananas, a manioc pastry... along with some sausages, fried eggs, chicken, and avocado. Nevertheless, a lovely eat. 

 

A summary of Latin American food would not be complete without a quick detour through fruit-town. We have thoroughly enjoyed trying many of the different types of fruit available. Of course, you get the same fruit you would get in a supermarket in Europe, but for our purposes here, let's focus on the stuff you don't get back home. We tried to keep a record of the different fruit we ate, but we gave up after a while. In the Amazon in particular, the variety is amazing. Açai for example is a red-brownish berry, which tastes a bit like Japanese sweet beans. It's a high-energy fruit and usually comes in a smoothie with oatmeal, which is why Brazilian athletes love it. Tucuma is a fruit that can be found in the Amazon. When you peel off the green skin, you can eat the orange part inside. It tastes a little bitter, slightly resembling walnuts. We believe people eat it not because of its shitty taste but because of the other effects it has on your body. Fruta de Conde looks like an artichoke from the outside and slimey like a passion fruit inside - it also tastes like a sweet version of passion fruit. Guanabana is yet another local speciality. It's sweet milky flavour makes it a favourite fruit for smoothies. Lulo also is a great basis for smoothies or juices... 
 

Overall, we ate (and drank) a lot more fruit (smoothies), but my intellectual capabilities didn't suffice to remember the names. Sorry.



There are many other local specialities and peculiarities that we haven't covered so far. In Argentina, we tried barbecued thyroid (Schilddrüse), which turned out to be quite good. As little snacks, we often had tamales (e.g. corn & chicken wrapped in leaves), empanadas, banana chips, chicken skewers, and the like. We also ate Ceviche, our long-time favourite from Peru & Chile. Ceviche is a fish dish, where the fish is prepared in a cold lemon sauce rather than being heated up. We saved eating fried ants (in Colombia) and fried pig-feet (in Panama) for next time.


Generally, we tried as much local food as possible, including eating at the many food stalls with dubious credentials for hygiene. Almost surprisingly, our bodies have coped quite well with the challenge. Let's keep it that way. Until next time. Buen provecho.