Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Bolivian Cuisine And Recipes From Bolivia

There is more than one cuisine in Bolivia because every region has its own favorite dishes. Food tends to be spicier in the west of the country, where you will find the arid Andes mountains and valleys, than in the lowlands of the east. Bolivian food is similar to Peruvian cuisine in some ways, since these countries share a border as well as similar topography.

There is a lot of variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits in the tropics, which are in the north and east of Bolivia, since this is the agricultural center of the country. Most of the cattle ranches are in the east. You can imagine how the differences between climate, topography, and altitude mean that the food eaten on one side of the country differs substantially from the food enjoyed on the other.

Bolivian Chicken Soup

This recipe is for chicken soup, which is known in Bolivia as "chanko de pollo." You can see from the ingredients list how simple this soup is but the flavor is really good.

This is a very nutritious recipe and you can make it as thin or as thick as you like. If the soup is too thin, remove some of the liquid before you add the beans, parsley, and onions or cube the potatoes and then put them back in so the starch can thicken the soup.

What You Need:
  • 1 cup butter beans or broad beans
  • 1 chopped chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 4 peeled whole potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
How To Make It:

Boil the chicken in a quart of water with the white part of the green onion for twenty minutes. Boil the beans for half an hour in salted water. Add the potatoes whole when the chicken is half-cooked.

Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat and stir in the parsley and remaining green onion. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Take the beans out of the pot and strain the water off. Add them to the soup with the parsley and green onions. Season to taste and serve hot.

Coconut Candy

People with a sweet tooth might enjoy this one. Coconut candy is known as cicadas in Bolivia and this recipe is from the Tarija region. This recipe makes about thirty candies.

Mix three cups of shredded coconut with a cup of condensed milk, quarter of a teaspoon of almond extract and an egg in a bowl and let it rest for a few minutes.

Spread some butter over a baking sheet and dot small amounts of the candy mixture on there, using a pair of teaspoons. Bake at 325 degrees F for twenty five minutes or until the candies are dry, smooth and golden.

Christine Szalay-Kudra is an author, food expert and mom of four boys. She is the owner of the Recipe Publishing Network, a group of sites dedicated to fine food and information for cooks. When not busy with her business you can find her sharing on one of these social networks at her own URL: http://www.recipepublishingnetwork.org/

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