Ever had a llama tenderloin? Here’s your chance, maybe with a glass of Tarija wine. Bolivia’s food is as diverse as its population and you’ll find new delicacies to sample in every town.
Markets are a good place to start, though the steaming pots of unfamiliar concoctions might test virgin tastebuds. Freshly-blended fruit juices will no doubt become a daily habit, while high-altitude Yungas coffee is now available in a number of new cafes popping up around Bolivia.
The restaurant scene is thriving in Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and – more than anywhere else – La Paz where you can sample contemporary takes on traditional drinks and dishes. No matter where you find yourself – be it the tropics or the high Andes – you’re bound to find colorful street snacks and elaborate meals making good use of Bolivia’s vast larder. Here’s a guide to some of Bolivia’s best food experiences.
Savor the spice of picante de pollo
Picante de pollo, which loosely translates in English as spicy chicken, is a delicious dish whipped up with a spicy sauce.
Sometimes, the chicken is breaded and fried or served as a grilled piece of chicken in a pool of sauce. The meat is usually accompanied by starchy vegetables, with peeled, diced potatoes being the most popular.
Where to try it: You can enjoy picante de pollo at many small, family-owned restaurants serving traditional Bolivian food in La Paz.
Warm up with mondongo chuquisaqueno
Mondongo is ubiquitous across South America, the Caribbean, and even parts of the Philippines. However, what most people think of as Mondongo in other countries is more of a thick corn-based stew, like Colombia’s famous dish, while Bolivia’s dish Mondongo Chuquisaqueno really only shares the name Mondongo with these recipes.
Bolivia’s Mondongo Chuquisaqueno is not a stew or a soup, but rather a dish made of pork loin and other additives. The dish is popular in Sucre, Bolivia’s constitutional capital, and is usually eaten on holidays like the Day of the Dead.
The plate, in addition to chicken soaking in a sweet paprika sauce, also usually contains potatoes and a local dish called mote. Much like the word mondongo is ubiquitous across South America, mote is another dish with a shared name but differs significantly between cultures. In Bolivia, mote is usually made from corn or sometimes fava beans cooked in their own husk, differentiating them from husked grain called pelado.
Where to try it: Mondongo Chuquisaqueno at Rolo’s Resturaunte in Sucre.
Indulge in the comforting locro de gallina
Locro de gallina loosely translates as “hen soup.” The main reason for this distinction is that pollo typically refers to young chickens of either gender, while gallina (female) and gallos (male) refer to older, mature chickens.
Because gallinas or hens are typically older, the meat is usually tougher. Thus, young chicken meat, called pollo, is made baked, broiled and fried and served as a piece of meat, and gallina is cooked in stews and soups to cover the tougher texture. Despite all this, locro de gallina is a scrumptious soup served with shredded pieces of chicken (although, in preparation, chefs usually use the whole chicken with the bone), potatoes, and maiz corn.
The broth is seasoned with herbs, including coriander, oregano and cilantro, as well as sauteed onions and garlic. The addition of aji peppers in some instances gives the soup a slight kick that really makes it hearty and flavorful. Get a steaming bowl of this delicious soup at one of the many street-side restaurants, where it is usually served with a piece of avocado and rice.
Where to try it: While locro de gallina can be enjoyed at almost any traditional Bolivian restaurant in La Paz or Santa Cruz, the best option is The Hornero Restaurant in Santa Cruz.
Experience traditional t’anta wawa
T’anta wawa, also known as pan de wawa in Spanish, translates loosely to baby bread. This may sound like a slightly odd name for a dish, but it is actually one of Bolivia’s sweetest traditions. In ancient Peruvian and Bolivian tradition, predating the arrival of the Spanish, native tribes would create a sweet corn bread called sanku, which the people brought as an offering to their deceased children.
Although not known for certainty, many experts believe that t’anta wawa is a post-Columbian practice that carried on those earlier practices. This dish consists of sweet bread decorated with a baby’s face.
In addition to all the usual things you’d expect to find in bread, like flour and perhaps a little sugar, t’anta wawa typically also contains nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It used to be eaten with a fermented corn drink but is most commonly consumed with beer today.
Where to try it: The San Francisco Market in La Paz has some of the best places to taste this decadent pastry.
Try a Bolivian donut
Tawa-tawa is a scrumptious dessert made with more traditional, native Bolivian foods blended with sugar and wheat brought over during the colonial period. The name, tawa-tawa, comes from the native word for the number four, which conveys the number of times each tawa-tawa is cut to make it a square or rectangle.
These sweet treats use wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter. They are then sliced, placed into boiling oil and fried until crisp. These little cakes are dipped in honey and served alongside chambergos, sopaipillas and other goodies during the Corpus Christi celebration.
Where to try it: Street sellers in La Paz typically offer this dish year-round. Visitors can buy this sweet snack at Api Charito in La Paz.
Snack on Salteñas
These ubiquitous yellow-orange turnovers are a staple mid-morning snack found across Bolivia. Smaller, stouter and sweeter than traditional empanadas, they often pair a protein (beef, pork or chicken) with olives, raisins and potatoes. The juiciness of the filling comes from added gelatin, and many connoisseurs add the Bolivian salsa llajua for an added kick. Expect a tasty film on your fingers and a warm glow in your belly.
Where to try it: Salteñeria El Hornito in Potosí.
Spice up tea time with a cuñapé or sonso de yuca
Take tea time to the next level with afternoon treats like cuñapés. These cheesy yuca bread rolls can be found in many Bolivian cities, but are most common in the east, where they are sometimes known as chipá (typically near the border with Paraguay).
Cuñapés can become quite addictive, so if you develop a liking for them, you’ll also want to try a sonso de yuca, which is a cheesy cassava bread that’s often grilled on a big bamboo skewer over smoldering charcoal.
Where to try it: El Secreto de Mama in Riberalta.
Taste the rainbow of Bolivian fruit juices
Bolivia packs a continent’s worth of topography into a relatively small package, which means you can find a massive array of fruits you may have never tried before. Fresh juices are one of the best ways to sample them, with common options including chirimoya (a custard apple), tumbo (the banana passionfruit) and tuna (which comes from the prickly pear cactus).
In the Amazon basin, you can also find plenty of asaí (the antioxidant-rich palm berry better known abroad as acai), which is used to make smoothies or bowls topped with fruits and grains.
Where to try it: In regional markets such as Santa Cruz’s Mercado Abasto.
Try K’alaphurka, the stone-heated soup
Where else can you sit back and watch as a server drops a hot volcanic rock into the middle of your soup? Such are the joys of eating k’alaphurka, one of the most famous dishes in the southern city of Potosí. Made from a base of corn flour, this stone-heated soup also includes potatoes, dried charque meat, ground ají chili peppers and chachacoma leaves – all served in a large earthen bowl (for obvious reasons!).
Where to try it: Kalaphurka Doña Mecha in Potosí.
Swirl wine or sip the brandy in Tarija
Some of the world’s highest-altitude vineyards lie near the town of Tarija, which has seen major investments over the last decade in both wineries and more sophisticated, textured wines. Tannat is the star grape here, and producers such as Campos de Solana and Aranjuez have gone head-to-head with winemakers from this red varietal’s homeland, France, in international competitions.
Meanwhile, the Muscat of Alexandria grape, which dominates Bolivian vineyards, goes into the pisco-like spirit singani, an eau-de-vie that’s mixed with ginger ale or lemon soda for the popular cocktail chuflay.
Where to try it: Beyond Tarija, the best place for singani or wine is Gustu in La Paz.
Try charquekan, the meal that fueled the Incas
The hearty Aymara dish of charquekan, common in southwestern Bolivia, is made by rehydrating dried llama meat. This creates a stringy, salty protein that is then draped over colorful native potatoes (or large corn kernels) and served with cheese and boiled eggs.
Where to try it: Charquekan Orureño ‘El Puente’ in Oruro.
Taste the bitter kick of coca leaves
Coca leaves are sacred to many Indigenous groups in the Andes of South America, where they are used for various ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Despite their infamy abroad as the base ingredient for cocaine, as well as the original Coca-Cola, they are a staple across Bolivia, flavoring everything from mildly stimulating liqueurs to bitter IPAs.
Hotels in destinations such as the Salar de Uyuni or Lake Titicaca often serve guests an infusion of dried coca leaves, called mate de coca, which is the most natural way to combat the effects of altitude.
Where to try it: Hotels in southwestern Bolivia or on trekking tours in the Andes.
Fill up on a pique a lo macho
This hangover killer is a heaping mess of beef, sausage, boiled eggs, gravy, peppers and onions – all served over french fries. Most Bolivians wouldn’t order a pique a lo macho for one. It is – like the similarly carb-heavy plate silpancho (schnitzel-style meat over a fried egg, rice and potatoes) – typically shared among groups of friends.
Where to try it: Miraflores Restaurant in Cochabamba.
Warm up on a cold altiplano morning with api de maíz morado
This hot drink made with ground purple corn, cinnamon, sugar and cloves is a popular breakfast item in the altiplano. Thick and hearty, it’s often accompanied by fried donut-like pastries called buñuelos. Consume the two together, and you could probably skip lunch.
Where to try it: The markets of La Paz, Oruro, Potosí and Cochabamba.
Fuel up on Sopa De Maní
Sopa de mani, or peanut soup, is a uniquely delicious dish that, as the name suggests, has peanuts as the main attraction. The origins of this soup are not known, but many claim it as one of Bolivia’s national dishes. The dish, although necessitating peanuts by nature, differs depending upon who makes it and the region making it.
Often, this dish is made with carrots, onions and potatoes or yuca. These vegetables help give the soup its thick consistency, although many say the soup, though high in protein, doesn’t make a complete meal on its own. In various districts across the country, cuts of chicken or lamb are served on the side, along with a serving of rice or some other starch.
Where to try it: This dish can be tried at Tía Maria Samaipata in Samaipata.
Fill up on humitas
Made from ground corn steamed inside corn leaves, similar to a Mexican tamale, humitas are a wonderful mid-day treat. These tasty little treats get their name from the local native term for the dish, humint’a, and are popular all across the country and in several neighboring countries.
The recipe calls for finely ground corn, often milled in more industrialized areas, or hand-ground corn in more rural regions. It is commonly eaten throughout the country, but the humitas cooked and sold in Tupiza are especially popular. Humitas are cooked inside corn husks and typically contain a little lard, cheese and seasonings of choice. In Tupiza, the recipe usually calls for basil and goat cheese, making it more robust and flavorful.
Where to try it: Humitas are somewhat ubiquitous across Bolivia and can be found at almost any street vendor. Try them at Restaurant TVO.
Indulge in a Classic Aztec Dish, Chuño
This traditional altiplano staple is made by laying potatoes out overnight to freeze, allowing them to thaw the next day and repeating the process over several days. The potatoes are then crushed underfoot to remove the skin and the liquid.
The technique was developed by the Incas some 800 years ago; the freeze-dried potatoes could then be transported by llama caravans like modern-day packets of chips on a bus. If you are in the highlands in June you may see potatoes being left out to freeze; the technique is still common in rural areas close to Oruro.
Where to try it: While several small restaurants serve this traditional dish, you can reliably find it at local supermarkets.
Enjoy Springtime with Sopa de Te’qo and biscocho de Semana Santa
During Easter week, Bolivians eat sopa de te’qo (vegetable soup) and biscocho de Semana Santa (round, flat biscuits). Despite its name meaning “vegetable soup,” sopa de te’qo actually contains quite a lot of meat, with some recipes calling for a blend of beef, pork and chicken. It also has many rich veggies, like potatoes, achojacha, green peppers and other ingredients that give it a vibrant taste.
Biscocho de Semana Santa is somewhat reminiscent of a scone, usually containing raisins and other dried fruits.
Where to try it: Westeros Cafe in Cochabamba is a great place to buy these decadent dishes.
Start Autumn With Feria Regional del Pescado
In the first week of August, Villa Tunari in the Chapare region of the Amazon Basin celebrates Amazonian fish dishes in the Feria Regional del Pescado. The local government established the local holiday to celebrate the abundant fish in the Amazon Basin area, and locals cook up a diverse collection of fish dishes while enjoying festivities and activities with their community.
Where to try it: The dish is mostly only available during the festival in the region of Villa Tunari in the Chapare region of the Amazon Basin.
Celebrate Christmas With Traditional Picana, Lechon al Horno and More
Traditionally, the meal includes picana, a stew made with chicken, beef, lamb, vegetables and potatoes, and lechón al horno (roast pork). On Christmas morning, a popular breakfast is buñuelos con chocolate (a sweet, soft doughnut with chocolate dipping sauce).
Where to try it: Since these dishes are seasonal, they are mainly available during the Holiday Season at local supermarkets and small family restaurants.
Vegetarians and vegans
Vegetarian options are on the rise in Bolivia, but meat still dominates most menus, particularly in the countryside where some chefs will be unfamiliar with vegetarian or vegan diets. Many Bolivian dishes are naturally vegan, including the meatless version of sopa de maní (a protein-packed soup made of ground peanuts and noodles) or humitas (ground corn steamed inside corn leaves, similar to a Mexican tamale).
It’s also common to find vegetarian plates based around yuca, potatoes or the supergrain quinoa. Both vegans and vegetarians will find the most options in La Paz, where the plant-based fine dining restaurant Ali Pacha has been instrumental in creating innovative meatless versions of many traditional dishes.
Foods worth trying
Sopa la Poderosa
A “powerful soup” from Tarija made with vegetables, rice… and bull’s penis.
Anticuchos
Grilled cow’s heart on skewers, served at markets or street stalls – look for them in the streets of La Paz.
Chuño
This traditional altiplano staple is made by laying potatoes out overnight to freeze, allowing them to thaw the next day and repeating the process over several days. The potatoes are then crushed underfoot to remove the skin and the liquid. The technique was developed by the Incas some 800 years ago; the freeze-dried potatoes could then be transported by llama caravans like modern-day packets of chips on a bus. If you are in the highlands in June you may see potatoes being left out to freeze; the technique is still common in rural areas close to Oruro.
A year in food
Easter (March/April)
During Easter week, Bolivians eat sopa de te’qo (vegetable soup) and biscocho de Semana Santa (round, flat biscuits).
August
In the first week of August, Villa Tunari in the Chapare region of the Amazon Basin celebrates Amazonian fish dishes in the Feria Regional del Pescado.
December
Bolivians celebrate Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) with a family feast. Traditionally, the meal includes picana, a stew made with chicken, beef, lamb, vegetables and potatoes, and lechón al horno (roast pork). On Christmas morning, a popular breakfast is buñuelos con chocolate (a sweet, soft doughnut with chocolate dipping sauce).
