4 Spicy Bolivian dishes you must try at least once in your life

Whether it is meat you crave, some starchy goodness with potatoes, spicy sausages or the heat of peppers; we bring you a few recipes from Bolivia that have them all!

By Aditi Balsaver

Updated on Feb 19, 2022 | 04:05 AM IST | 1.1M

Spicy Bolivian dishes you must try at least once in your life

Right from exciting produce like yuca and corn to dehydrated meats, food in Bolivia is an exciting blend of Amazonian ingredients peppered with locoto and similar chili peppers. One of the most intriguing parts of Bolivian cuisine is that flavors from different parts of Bolivia bring you everything you could ever dream of on a plate. So, whether it is meat you crave, some starchy goodness with potatoes, spicy sausages or the heat of peppers; we bring you a few recipes from Bolivia that have them all!

This is the most popular of dishes in the region. But the most delicious recipe comes from Cochabamba. It uses a unique red chili sauce to cook the chicken in which adds to the flavor. The traditional recipe uses dehydrated potato, tomato and onion along with vegetables like peas; however, you can use substitutes if you wish.

One of the most unusual soups, this is made of peanuts and the recipe is as old as time in Bolivia. All you will need to cook this are white peanuts, many vegetables and interestingly elbow macaroni. Potatoes cooked as French fries are another intriguing addition to this soup. Although the conventional recipe recommends beef, it can be well made with chicken as well.

This is a relatively uncomplicated dish that packs a punch with green chilli. A Spanish stew, it is also called Guisado and was made with meat, but the vegetable variant is incredibly palatable and made with cabbage and potatoes. You need very few ingredients for this, but you can always top it off with a sausage or eggs if you don’t mind meat in your meals. This can be a comprehensive meal when you add protein to it and dish it up to your family.

Another recipe that comes from Cochabamba valley, it traditionally uses minced meat, some handpicked spices that are grown locally and sausages. You will need potatoes, chili peppers, tomatoes, onions and eggs to make this classic dish. It is made liberally and served as a family meal. This dish can be paired with a sauce at times that uses ingredients like beer, oil, vinegar, and llajua that is the highlight of Bolivian fare.