Eating the same type of food day after day can become really boring. Cooking also becomes nothing more than a chore when you're always making the same old stand-by dishes. To rediscover the joys of the kitchen, it might be time to expand your culinary horizons and try something new. Latin American cooking recipes are ideal, since they often use ingredients that are easy to find and they won't be too strange for the kids to try as well.
For most people, their knowledge of Latin American dishes doesn't stretch much further than those Mexican favorites, the taco and the burrito. However, the region known as Latin America is huge, encompassing Mexico and Central America, countries in the Caribbean and the continent of South America. Here you'll find chilly highlands and hot and humid tropical jungles. You'll find deserts and you'll find coastal areas. There is such variety in the landscape and the edible produce to be found here that it's common to find very different foods in different parts of the same country.
When the Spanish came to the Americas, they took several New World foods back to Europe, forever changing the way people eat. It's almost impossible to think of what Italians used to eat before they discovered the versatility of the tomato, for instance. Corn is a starch from Central America that quickly spread to the rest of the world but is still a staple in its region of origin too. It's used to make tortillas, tamales, pupusas and many other dishes.
Corn is not the only starch used in Latin America. In the Caribbean and more tropical regions, you'll find manioc and versatile plantains everywhere. Potatoes are popular too, since they originated in the Andean region. Rice dishes are found throughout and rice is often mixed with beans. In fact, rice and beans is a filling breakfast staple in many countries. Vegetables include carrots, green beans, tomatoes and onions, as well as a variety of squashes.
The meat of choice for many is pork, unless you're on the plains of Argentina or Paraguay, where you'll be served mountains of beef grilled to perfection. Chicken is eaten everywhere as well. Coastal communities, as well as those who live along large rivers or on the shores of lakes, often eat fish and other types of seafood and a refreshing dish is ceviche, which originally came from Peru.
There's nothing like something sweet to end a good meal. Desserts that are eaten almost everywhere, with slight regional differences in their preparation, include tres leches cake, flan and a caramel spread known as dulce de leche. For certain religious festivals you'll also find special desserts and cakes.
The region also boasts many interesting fruits that provide a healthier snack, from the more familiar mangoes and papayas to more exotic fruits such as jocotes and maracuyas. These fruits are often blended into refreshing smoothies. Some non-alcoholic drinks are made with rather unusual ingredients, such as rice or corn. When it comes to alcohol, rum is one of the most popular.
If you're looking for recipes from the Latin American region, specialty cookery books are one way to go. Another is to go online and look on websites about food. However, the best route is to visit a country in the region, take a few cookery classes and enjoy a wonderful vacation to boot.
For most people, their knowledge of Latin American dishes doesn't stretch much further than those Mexican favorites, the taco and the burrito. However, the region known as Latin America is huge, encompassing Mexico and Central America, countries in the Caribbean and the continent of South America. Here you'll find chilly highlands and hot and humid tropical jungles. You'll find deserts and you'll find coastal areas. There is such variety in the landscape and the edible produce to be found here that it's common to find very different foods in different parts of the same country.
When the Spanish came to the Americas, they took several New World foods back to Europe, forever changing the way people eat. It's almost impossible to think of what Italians used to eat before they discovered the versatility of the tomato, for instance. Corn is a starch from Central America that quickly spread to the rest of the world but is still a staple in its region of origin too. It's used to make tortillas, tamales, pupusas and many other dishes.
Corn is not the only starch used in Latin America. In the Caribbean and more tropical regions, you'll find manioc and versatile plantains everywhere. Potatoes are popular too, since they originated in the Andean region. Rice dishes are found throughout and rice is often mixed with beans. In fact, rice and beans is a filling breakfast staple in many countries. Vegetables include carrots, green beans, tomatoes and onions, as well as a variety of squashes.
The meat of choice for many is pork, unless you're on the plains of Argentina or Paraguay, where you'll be served mountains of beef grilled to perfection. Chicken is eaten everywhere as well. Coastal communities, as well as those who live along large rivers or on the shores of lakes, often eat fish and other types of seafood and a refreshing dish is ceviche, which originally came from Peru.
There's nothing like something sweet to end a good meal. Desserts that are eaten almost everywhere, with slight regional differences in their preparation, include tres leches cake, flan and a caramel spread known as dulce de leche. For certain religious festivals you'll also find special desserts and cakes.
The region also boasts many interesting fruits that provide a healthier snack, from the more familiar mangoes and papayas to more exotic fruits such as jocotes and maracuyas. These fruits are often blended into refreshing smoothies. Some non-alcoholic drinks are made with rather unusual ingredients, such as rice or corn. When it comes to alcohol, rum is one of the most popular.
If you're looking for recipes from the Latin American region, specialty cookery books are one way to go. Another is to go online and look on websites about food. However, the best route is to visit a country in the region, take a few cookery classes and enjoy a wonderful vacation to boot.
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