The Main Diet
- Varies between three regions: the altiplano, the oriente, and the valleys
- Largely influenced by Spain cuisine and uses ingredients and spices of the Aymara culture.
- Altiplanos: colder climate, eats foods with a lot of peppers and spices. They eat fish from lake Titicaca including karachi, ispi and trout. Known to eat dried potatoes called chunos.
- Orientes: tropical plains where a lot of fruits and vegetables can be grown. rice, cassava, peanuts, bananas, legumes, and maize makeup a lot of the diet. They also have more access the beef because majority of the cattle are in this region. Beef is the most consumed meat, followed by chicken and llama steaks.
- Valleys: have fertile land but doesn't do much farming because of steep hills and little transportation. Have a blend of both regions with less spice.
Daily Eats
- In a town they start the day off with api, coffee, or tea and fried bread or cunapes. Toward the Andes mountains they could have ground cereal, cheese, tea, or a thick soup Lawa.
- Almuerzo is the most important meal of the day, consists of 3 courses.
- Consists of a soup, main course with a meat, rice and potatoes, followed by dessert.
- For lower income families almuerzo might be boiled potatoes, homemade cheese, a hard boiled egg, and Lawa.
- Siesta is taken after the meal.
- Tea time occurs around 4 or 5 in the afternoon and can be served with humitas.
- They eat a light dinner around 7 or 8 at night.
- Cheap snacks that can be found at food vendors are empanadas, saltenas, and tucumanas.
- Fun Fact: McDonald's tried to open up restaurants in Bolivia but didn't last because of the availability of these cheap snacks stated above. All the McDonald's in Bolivia were closed down in 2002.
Special Occasions
- Big events like baptism, marriage, and death have big hearty meals with lots of vegetables and meat.
- On All Souls Day they indulge on mondongo and choclo accompanied by drinks of chicha and singani. Also eat aji de pollo on All Souls Day.
- Christmas morning they eat buñuelos and hot chocolate.
- Manjar blanco is a special dessert they will have for almuerzo when the are celebrating. Creamy dessert made of powder rice, sugar, milk, and cinnamon. Also known as Dulce de leche.
- Silpancho is a special beef dish for special occasions.