Buen Dia Amigos! Greetings from Bolivia!
I just wanted to take some time to tell you all about some of the awesome food that we have been able to enjoy here in Bolivia. Just like the 8 essential amino acids, there are 8 essential rules for Bolivian dining (sorry, but the MCAT is looming ahead). They are as follows:
(WARNING - The Bolivian cuisine is not for the faint of stomach. A good dose of Ciproflaxacin is a necessity for any traveler desiring to get the full Bolivian experience.)
1) DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. Just as in many other countries around the world, Bolivian tap water is not safe to drink. We were reminded of this fact just as we arrived in Bolivia by a thrilling presentation on water borne parasites given by Todd, one of our fellow students from Wheaton College. On the bright side however, Bolivians have a variety of tasty bottled drinks which are a must have with any meal. My personal favorite are the different types of fruit juices. Each type of juice comes in a large, 2 liter glass bottle. There are many different flavors including peach, banana, apple, pineapple, papaya, and mango. The apple juice is especially good and tastes just like chilled apple cider. Additionally, a Bolivian favorite is Fanta. This sparkling orange Coca Cola product is a hit with many of the kids and does a great job of blunting the sting of hot picante peppers. Another unique Bolivian drink is drinkable yogurt which comes in a variety of flavors including blackberry, strawberry, and coconut. Although I wouldn't recommend it with a dense meat dish, it is great as a drinkable desert.
2) BRING A FRIEND. One of the best parts of Bolivian food is the massive portion size of many of the dishes. For only around 50 Bolivianos (7 USD) you can purchase a great dish known as pique, my personal favorite. Essentially, pique consists of massive amounts of meat on top of a bed of fried potatoes and is usually served with ketchup and mustard. There are three different types of meat: large cuts of beef, chorizo sausage, and chicken. Hardboiled eggs, onions and peppers usually adorn the top of the mountainous pile of protein. On the second day that we were here, we ordered two dishes of pique for ten people and still had several to go boxes of food to take home with us. Never eat alone in Bolivia or you are liable to end up carrying more than half of your meal home in a bag.
3) SAVE CHANGE FOR A TASTY SNACK ON THE STREET. The best part of traveling around Bolivia on the 15 passenger buses known as Truffis is the plethora of delicious smells of street stands wafting through the air. (Disclaimer: not all smells on a Truffi are what one might call pleasant. Use caution when breathing through your nose.) One of the best snacks on the street is the Empanada, a delicious combination of melted cheese and baked bread rolled together into a beautifully crimped pastry. A close relative of the Empanada is the Saltena which consists of meat and cheese enclosed in a pocket of baked bread. Both can be purchased on the street for around 2 - 5 Bolivianos (around 50 cents). After a hot snack of meat cheese and bread you may need something to cool off your tongue for the ride back to the hospital. The street vendors have just the remedy. Juanitos are probably my favorite food off the street and can be purchased for 1 Boliviano (15 cents). Basically a Juanito consists of frozen yogurt enclosed inside a plastic package (picture a frozen go-gurt). Juanitos come in a variety of different flavors and colors. Generally, each Juanito has a combination of three successive flavors including mango, peach, orange, lime, bubble gum, grape, chocolate, and pina colada. Juanitos are a great treat for the Truffi ride home and I routinely buy two every time I pass my favorite vendor on the corner. Moral of the story: Always carry loose change for some great street food.
4) WAS THAT SOUP BOILED? Soup is a staple part of the Bolivian diet. At lunch time Bolivians flock to local street stands for chicken, beef, and vegetable soup. Although the locals seem to be immune to the potential gastrointestinal problems associated with parasite ridden water, the traveler must use caution when trying this part of the Bolivian cuisine. Naturally, the most important question is "was that soup boiled?" So far, I have risked trying soup a total of three times this trip and either I have been lucky or I have a great knack for guessing which vendor in traditional Bolivian attire with a baby strapped to her back is most likely to have boiled the water in her soup. Despite the risks involved, I have been generally impressed with Bolivian soup. Chicken soup is very tasty and generally contains potatoes, rice, and carrots in a savory broth with a whole chicken breast plopped in the middle. My personal favorite however is quinoa soup. The Bolivians actually eat a fair amount of quinoa and use it as a substitute for rice in several dishes. Quinoa soup is very filling and makes me feel like I am eating healthy even if the broth probably has enough salt in it to make homeade ice cream.
5) BE COURAGEOUS. One particular delicacy in Bolivia is llama. The primary dish of llama is known as charque and consists of crunchy fried llama meat on a bed of hominy. It is also generally served with a baked potato and hardboiled eggs. Initially, I was very excited about trying llama meat, but after a trip through the llama section in La Cancha, the local market, I was a bit more skeptical. The llama section smelled a bit funky and they even had llama fetuses for sale which were far from appetizing. Despite my misgivings however, at the next restaurant we went to I ordered charque. As I stared at the dried crisps of meat in front of me, I couldn't help but have flashbacks to the smells of the meatmarket and the flies buzzing around overhead. I opened up and put the first bite in. The texture of the meat was very dry, kind of like beef jerky, and I had to crunch on it for a while before I could really taste the flavor. It turned out to be a little bit game-y kind of like deer jerky and on the whole was not to bad. Compared to pique, however, it just could not stand up. It was a great thing to try, but far from a staple food in my Bolivian diet.
6) LOOKS ARE DECEIVING. Another common food in Bolivia is known as Silpancho. At first, this traditional Bolivian food is a bit alarming. It comes in two different varieties: chicken and beef. The catch is that the two different meats are nearly indistinguishable from one another. Both are ground up and fried in to a pancake sized patty. Staring at the flat pancake of mystery meat on my plate was enough to make me at first question this Bolivian concoction, but it turns out I was mistaken. The saving grace of Silpancho is that its is served over rice and is topped off with several fried eggs. Mixed together with some picante salsa, the lifeless patty of meat is transformed into a delicious dish that I strongly recommend.
7) DON'T BE AFRAID TO BUY AMERICAN. Normally, I wouldn't suggest eating American food in a foreign country, but in this case I must say the unthinkable, "in Bolivia, order a hamburger". Yep that's right.
Here in Bolivia they are known as hamburguesas and are actually quite different than their counterpart in the United States. The best way that I can describe Bolivian hambeguesas is as a patty of taco meat on a ciabatta. The taco seasoning flavor of the meat gives the hamberguesa a very distinctive taste and it is a must try for any norteamericano traveling in Bolivia.
8) PURGE WITH FRUITS AND NUTS. This is an essential step in successfully navigating Bolivian food. Without fiber, the Bolivian diet of meat, bread, and fried food can leave you struggling for air. Fresh fruit of the streets is a great way to get some essential nutrients and help prepare your body for the next round of pique. The only precaution with fruit off the street is that it must be adequately cleaned using a rinse of bleach followed by purified water. There are a variety of different fruits in the markets ranging from apples, bananas and oranges to kiwis and papayas. The bananas are extremely cheap. I once tried to buy 5 Bolivianos (80 cents) worth and ended up getting 20 whole bananas. The apples here are also really good although you have to watch out for the occasional rotten one. Oranges are a great way to get some vitamin C which is in high demand while working in the hospitals and trying to combat the general lack of hygiene in the city. My personal favorite are the kiwis which I cut in half and eat with a spoon. They are a great snack and actually have twice the potassium of a banana which has been great in fighting off soreness since I have been trying to run here in the high altitude. Additionally, peanuts and a variety of other nuts that I don't know the name of can be purchased on the street. They are a great snack and a good break from Empanadas and Saltenas. I definitely recommend mixing in a good variety of fruits and nuts to maintain the longevity of your appetite while in Bolivia. And remember: trying new food is a marathon not a sprint so buckle up for the long haul.
Well, I hope that you have been able to get a taste of the many different components of the Bolivian cuisine through this brief overview. May your spoon be ever shiny and your steak knife ever sharp!
As they say in Bolivia
Provecho!! (Good Eating)
Jake
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