Bolivia For The Gourmet Traveler

Popular Foods & National Cuisine

Picante de Pollo, Saltenas, Tawa-Tawas

Popular Beverages & National Drinks

Biblia, Chicha de Mani

Best Dining Destinations

La Paz

Foods

Picante De Pollo

This spicy chicken dish is a mainstay of Bolivian cuisine and most restaurants will carry this item on their menu. Although there are numerous customized variations, like almost all local dishes around the world, the basic ingredients are chicken, peppers, peas, tomatoes, onions, and spices. All of these are cooked together in a casserole and served with fried or boiled potatoes.

Saltenas

Salteñas are Bolivia's version of the empanadas, or stuffed pastry turnovers. Similar to empanadas in other nearby countries and regions, they contain meat, vegetables, and spices. A common food in Bolivia, they can be found all over the country.

Tawa-Tawas

These deep-fried sweet snacks are a common delight in Bolivia. Tawa-Tawas consist of a basic dough that is rolled into thin shapes, fried, and sprinkled with honey or sugar.

Drinks

Biblia

Biblia, meaning bible, is a sweet egg-based alcoholic drink prepared in Bolivia. It consists of eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pisco. Pisco is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes.

Chicha

Chicha is an extremely popular drink in Bolivia. It can come in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic form, but you will most likely find the alcoholic version. Made with either corn (maiz) or peanuts (mani), the mixture is then fermented into a sort of "beer". All over Bolivia you can find special places that serve this beverage by looking for white flags hanging on the outside.

Destinations

La Paz

To have the widest variety of selections your best bet on dining would be in La Paz, the capital. Here you will find various street vendors, family-owned establishments, and higher-quality restaurants that can offer you an insight into Bolivian cuisine.