SOUTH AMERICAN FOOD CULTURE
It is difficult to define South American food cuisine since it varies greatly from region to region. However, it is clearly a very rich mixture of cultures, from European influences to indigenous tradition. What we can say is that there are some key ingredients that are widespread all over the continent, such as potatoes, peppers, tropical fruit, queso fresco, yuca and, the most important of all, corn.
Up until recently, some of the lesser known foods were exclusively consumed by indigenous people in rural regions and weren’t included in what is known as “South American cuisine”. However, this has now changed and we are seeing ingredients being incorporated in big cities and all over the world, ingredients like alpaca meat, quinoa, yuca and maca, that were previously seldom used.
Overall, food in Latin America can be separated into three regions: the Andes, the tropical region and the pampas (provinces in eastern Argentina, all of Uruguay and south Brazil).
The Andes is the region most influenced by indigenous culture, but again the main ingredients are still corn, potatoes and other tubers. The most common meats are llama, in Peru, and Guinea Pig, in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Colombia. In some areas, trout is also eaten. See typical dishes
The tropical region is divided into two areas: coastal areas of the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans and the Amazon region. Here we can find tropical fruits; such as guava, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, and elderberry. Crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava. Meat and fish. Grains, principally rice, corn, and wheat and beans. In addition, the Amazon region uses native meats like capybara, turtles, peccary, and paca. See typical dishes
The pampas have the most influences from European culture, especially Italian and German. Although their dishes are somewhat different from their European counterparts, with pasta and polenta being common, as well as the typical ingredients mentioned previously. See typical dishes