South American cuisine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Peruvian cuisinetarateño sausages and other foods sold by a street vendor in Tarata, Peru
Shredded beef

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.

Overview

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

beans with beef and pork.[citation needed] Rice and beans is also very common in Brazil.[4]

Incan culture (see Incan cuisine). The consumption of carne asada is widespread throughout much of the continent.[citation needed][a] 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]

By region

Andes

Pachamanca

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.

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.

ch'arki
.

Pampas

The pampas have the most Italian and Spanish influences. In Argentina, they are the center of the three typical Argentinian dishes dulce de leche, asado (churrasco in Brazil), and milanesa.

Argentine pizza is different from Italian pizza, being closer to

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]

Tropical

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

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.

Diffusion

Australia

As early as the 1950s, Latin American cuisine have been transported to the Southeast coast, where

better source needed] Now there is a slight selection of Latin American restaurants that has spread across the country.[citation needed
]

United States

Early South American restaurants in the United States included Caso do Brazil in

guava paste, and cachaça (an ingredient in the caipirinha cocktail).[16]

Gallery

South American cuisine at restaurants
A feijoda
Feijoada, a bean stew that is Brazil's national dish

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ There appears to only be circumstantial evidence, for which there are a few references.[footnote 1][footnote 2]
  1. ^ “The Origins and Traditions of Carne Asada.” The Spruce, 1996, www.thespruce.com/carne-asada-mexican-steak-331500.
  2. ^ Martin, Sasha. “Barbecued Meat:Carne Asada.” Global Table Adventure, August 21, 2015, globaltableadventure.com/recipe/recipe-barbecued-meat-carne-asada-w-poll/.Which by the way, they source "Life from Scratch" A National Geographic Special Book

References

Further reading

External links