Latin American
Latin America
• Latin America: landmass that stretches southward from the Rio Grande to the tip of South America
• Official language is either Spanish or Portuguese, based on Latin ▫ Spanish were the first to
explore and settle
Latin American Dishes
•Chorizo: Spicy sausage, flavors many stews
•Ceviche: appetizer of raw fish marinated in citrus juice until firm & opaque ▫Fish drained and served with
chilies, tomatoes & onions •Sopa: soup features meat as the
main ingredients
Mexico
Geography and climate of Mexico•Deserts, mountains, grasslands,
woodlands, and tropical rain forests•Depending on the climate depends what
they can grow ▫North – hilly – suited for ranching▫South – coffee & sugarcane
Mexican culture
•Aztecs: original inhabitants of Mexico▫Contributed chocolate, squash, tomatoes,
vanilla, corn, peppers, peanuts tomatoes, avocadoes, bean, sweet potatoes, pineapples, papayas
▫Boiled, broiled, steamed, or ate food raw •Spanish introduced peaches, rice, beef,
wheat, oil, wine, cinnamon, cloves, apricots, & chickens
Mexican culture cont.
•Mexican life style▫Living quarter wealthiest home but simple -
handmade items Sala: living room
▫Close-knit families▫Mexican holidays
Most Roman Catholics Food plays a major role
Mexican culture cont.•Mexican agriculture
▫Farmers - cannot afford modern machinery or fertilizers
▫Land closets to United states is dry and not suitable for large animals
▫Corn is major crop - beans are second
▫Sugarcane, coffee, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, melons, citrus fruits, strawberries, and cocoa beans
▫Depending on part of the country if there is seafood or livestock, what kinds of fruit and field vegetables
Mexican Cuisine •Corn
▫Tortilla: flat, unleavened bread made from cornmeal and water Comal - lightly greased griddle Northern Mexico with use wheat flour
▫Enchiladas - fill tortillas, baked and serve with cheese and red/green tomatoes sauce
▫Tostadas - fry tortillas and garnish
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Corn
▫Quesadillas – tortilla folded around cheese & grilled
▫Burritos - tortilla wrapped around meat & beans
▫Taco - crisp, fried tortillas filled
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Corn
▫Tamale - use corn husk stuffed with masa and cook over open fire
▫Masa: corn is dried, cooked, soaked in limewater and then ground into a dough
▫Masa harina: dried ground masa – course-grained corn flour
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Bean
▫Frijoles refritios: refried beans: cook beans, smash, and fry them again Red or pinto beans
•Peppers▫Sweet peppers - mild flavor▫Chilies: hot peppers▫Red - dried except red bell and
pimientos ▫Green - ripe ▫Chipotle chilies – smoked jalapenos
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Vegetables & fruits
▫Vegetables are used in dishes but rarely eaten raw
▫Guacamole: avocadoes smashed with tomato and onion
▫Squash ▫Tomatillos – green tomatoes ▫Plantains: green starchy fruit that have a
bland flavor and look like large bananas - usually cooked
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Desserts
▫Fresh fruits and sweet tamales▫Flan - large amounts of egg and sugar (caramel
custard)▫Rice pudding
•Chocolate ▫Came to Mexico from Maya in Central America ▫Different forms of hot chocolate ▫Used in sauces and main dishes
Mexican Cuisine cont.
•Sauces and stews▫Simple sauces - chilies and/or sweet
peppers mixed with finely chopped onions and tomatoes
▫Mole: chilies, almonds, raisins, garlic, sesame seed, onions, tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, and anise food Finely chopped and added to chicken stock Just before serving add unsweetened
chocolate
▫Stews are cooked for long time over low heat
Mexican Cuisine cont.•Beverages
▫Chocolate drinks and coffee
▫Molinillo - used to beat chocolate into a foam before serving
▫Café con leche - coffee served with milk
Salsa •Salsa: may refer to any type of sauce
▫In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based, hot sauce typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as dips.
▫United States has popularized and commercialized as a Mexican creation, there are many types of salsa which usually vary throughout Latin America.
Salsa cont. •Types of salsa
▫Salsa roja - “red sauce“ - is used as a condiment in Mexican cooking Made with cooked tomatoes, chili
peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh cilantro▫Pico de gallo - “fresh sauce”, “chopped
sauce”, or "Mexican sauce" Made with raw tomatoes, lime juice, chili
peppers, onions, cilantro leaves, and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients.
▫Salsa verde - "green sauce" Made with tomatillos , usually cooked.
Salsa cont. •Types of salsa cont.
▫Mango salsa is a spicy-sweet sauce made with mangoes Used as a garnish on grilled chicken
or grilled fish due to the sauce's complementary flavors.
▫Chipotle salsa is a smoky, spicy sauce ▫Made from smoked jalapeño chili
peppers, tomatoes, garlic and spices.
Mexican Meals •Families with large incomes often eat 4
meals a day •Desayuno - substantial breakfast
▫Fruit, tortillas, bread or sweet rolls, eggs or meat, coffee or chocolate
•Comida: main meal, served in middle of the day between 1 and 3 ▫Six dishes - appetizer, soup, small dish of stew,
main course, beans, dessert, and coffee - tortillas
▫Siesta: rest period
Mexican Meals cont.
•Merienda - light snack, around 5 or 6▫Coffee or chocolate,
fruit, and pan dulce (sweet bread)
•Cena – supper – between 8 and 10▫Similar to comida but
lighter and smaller
Central America
Central America
•Allspice – flavor sweet & savory dishes▫Dried unripped berry
•Chayote – squash like fruit, eaten raw or cooked and stuffed with cheese
•Guatemalan ▫Oysters ▫Pollo pepian – chicken in a spicy
sauce with sesame and pumpkin seeds
Central America cont.
•El Salvador ▫Pupusa – corn cake filled with refried
beans, cheese & pork served with cabbage, onion, and carrot slaw
•Nicaragua ▫Nactamal – cabbage, plantain & pork
steamed in banana leaves •Costa Rica
▫Gallo pinto – fried black beans and rice ▫Arroz contuna – rice with tuna
South America
Geography and climate•Mountains•Grasslands•Jungles – Rain Forest •Forests•Plateaus•Deserts
South American Culture
•Inca: group of Native South Americans▫High level of civilization ▫Built large empire in the Andes Mountains
•Great wealth and great poverty
South American Cuisine •Food customs in South America have
developed on a regional basis because of the geographic isolation of the different areas
•European colonists introduced many staple foods ▫Wheat & hog being important to many Latin
American except Argentina & Mexico •Manioc or Cassava: starchy root plant
eaten as a side dish and used in flour form in cooking and baking
Andean Countries •Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, & Chile •Geography – mountains, seacoast, and
tropical rainforest •Usually less spicy than Mexico & Central
America •Potatoes may have originated here•Cassava and chilies thrive in tropical areas•Grazing land limited so meat often from
chickens, guinea pigs & llamas▫Llama meat salted dried to make charqui
(jerky)
Andean Countries cont.
•Ecuador ▫Bananas
•Colombia▫Potatoes high in the mountains▫Ajiaco: soup made with potatoes,
chicken, corn, and cassava▫Do not eat much meat▫Coffee is their number one export▫Coffee is available but they do not
drink much
Andean Countries cont.
•Peru ▫Reflects traditions of the Inca and Spanish▫Inca’s would preserve their potatoes by
freeze-drying them - they would freeze at night and then set them out in the sun to dry, repeat this process unit they became hard and light
▫Potatoes - used in many dishes, poverty level will depend on what they will do with potatoes
▫Aji: local chilies, used for seasoning and is made into a hot sauce
▫Ceviche: marinated raw fish
Venezuela
•Fertile soil and tropical areas•Banana, plantain, and coconut•Arepa: corn pancake similar to tortilla
Chile
•Very little red meat•Seafood is plentiful and inexpensive•Ceviche – many different forms
▫Marinated raw fish •Dished
▫Porotos granados – bean stew ▫Pastel de choclo - ground beef
casserole with corn batter topping▫Chupe de marisco – shellfish casserole
Argentina •Pampas - rich lands where large
herd of cattle and sheep are raise▫Gauchos: nomadic cowboy of the
South American pampas•Beef major industry and national
food ▫Beef often grilled outdoors
•Empanadas: small turnovers fill with meat, vegetables, & fruit ▫Appetizer
•Pasta & yeast bread are as common as tortilla
Brazil•Dende oil: palm oil that gives
dishes a bright yellow-orange color•Manioc, rice, and beans are all
staple foods•Feijoanda completa: variety of
meat served with black beans and seasonings
•Guarana fruit – whose seeds contain caffeine, is made into a popular soft drink, a powder, and syrup
Uruguay •Dulce de leche: milk cooked
with sugar slowly at low temperature and develops a taste like caramel
•Meat cooked on open flame over charcoal ▫ Meat skewered before grilling
•Hungara: spicy hot dog, popular grilled item
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