Traditional Bolivian Foods: 10 Typical Dishes You Must Try

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The landlocked Bolivia is a country of extreme environments, beautiful nature, and diverse cultures. Because of the great diversity of peoples and natural habitats, and the long history of indigenous cultures and Spanish influence, Bolivia’s food culture is highly diverse, as well. Delicious, traditional Bolivian foods are found in the various geographical regions of the country, namely the Amazonas region, the Andes, and the valleys. But the food differs a bit depending on where in Bolivia you’re visiting.

Traditional Bolivian foods are often rich and contain lots of protein. The most common ingredients, naturally, are grown in the country side since hundreds of years. Maize, potatoes, llama meat, and eggs form an important part of many traditional Bolivian dishes. Meanwhile, lots of dishes have also been influenced by the Spanish colonial times. Eating in Bolivia is often a very social thing, and meals are commonly large – to be shared.

In this article, I’ll share 10 of the most popular traditional Bolivian foods you definitely should try when visiting this beautiful country. From savory and spicy to sweet and puffy, there’s something in this list for everyone. And, if you ask me, enjoying traditional food is one of the best ways to get more acquainted with a country and its peoples, as well.

1. Chuño – unique freeze-dried potatos

Chuño is one of the most unique, traditional Bolivian foods. It consists of potatos which are frozen and dehydrated using a special method indigenous to the Andes. Chuño has traditionally been made by the Quechua and Aymara peoples of Bolivia and Peru, although it is also made elsewhere in South America.

The traditional method of making this popular Bolivian food involves leaving potatos overnight in Andean cold temperatures, and drying them during the day, for several days.

Once ready, chuño can keep for a very long time. Perhaps for this reason, it has for centuries been an important staple in the Andean regions.

Chuño or chuño flour are an essential ingredient in many traditional Bolivian dishes. Chuño is not the same as potato, however; there’s a clear distinction. Some traditional meals even involve both chuño and potato.

2. Chairo – a hearty soup

Chairo is a rich soup that is made with chuño, beef or lamb, potatoes, corn, and vegetables. Often some herbs are added, such as oregano, parsley, and salt. Chairo has probably been made and enjoyed for hundreds of years, and it actually combines ingredients of both native Andean and Spanish origin. Sometimes, chairo can also include llama or alpaca meat.

The soup is hearty and delicious, and it is served hot. This unique food is native to the Altiplano region of Bolivia and Peru, and in Bolivia it is especially typical in the La Paz area. You’ll not regret trying some while visiting this region.

3. Fricasé

This special dish is also one of the heartiest traditional Bolivian foods I’ve tried. Fricasé is made from chunky pieces of meat, mostly pork, along with mote de choclo (dried maize kernels), chuño or potatoes, onions, and spices or herbs. The dish is a sort of a soup, truly warming and filling, and often eaten in the morning.

Fricasé is also thought of as hangover food in Bolivia – though from personal experience, I can say it does not have that magical healing property for everyone. But either way, fricasé is one of the most interesting and typical Bolivian foods worth trying.

4. Charque de llama

For this dish, dried llama meat (charque) is used. Traditionally the llama meat is dried in the sun and preserved between layers of salt for long periods of time. Llama is a national symbol in Bolivia, and an important animal in many ways – from transportation to food, source of wool, and company.

Charque de llama consists of dried llama meat served in small pulled pieces, combined with Mote de Choclo (corn), potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and cheese (fresh or fried). It is a filling, flavorful meal, eaten especially in the Andes. Though I’ve mostly been vegetarian for the past two decades, I sometimes try local foods with meat. There was something about this dish that I truly relish; the texture and the taste, as well as the condiments, were all amazing and earthy. Of course, you’ll also often enjoy this dish in stunning mountainous environments, which adds to the enjoyment of it.

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5. Pique macho

Pique macho is most certainly a dish for the lovers of hearty and meaty meals. I’ve enjoyed pique macho as a platter shared amongst friends, and indeed, the dish is traditionally shared because of its huge size. Pique macho consists of (ready for it?) meat and especially beef strips, along with sausage, onions, and tomatoes, layered on top of French fries and topped with boiled eggs. The dish is usually made spicy with chili and served with condiments such as ketchup or mayonnaise.

There are some urban legends around the naming of the dish. Some say it is so named because you’ve got to be a bit of a macho to finish a meal of such size. Others say the dish was first served at a restaurant (possibly in Cochabamba), where the owners once offered whatever they had left at the end of the day to a bunch of hungry farm workers. They shared the huge meal, and the legendary dish was born. Either way, going out with some friends and enjoying pique macho is certainly something traditional to do while visiting Bolivia.

6. Surubí frito (fried sorubim)

The Amazon region naturally contains countless streams and rivers, and these in turn are home to numerous fish species. It is no wonder, then, that the Amazon region and its peoples use fish commonly as part of many traditional meals.

Surubí frito is a traditional Bolivian meal that comes from the Chapare region, the area of the Amazon close to the Andes and Cochabamba. Surubí is a large catfish, called tiger sorubim in English, that inhabits the rivers of the Amazon basin. The dish surubí frito consists of the fish, served crispy (pan fried and breaded or grilled), with salad, rice, plantain, or yuca. It is truly delicious; the meat of surubí is tender and mildly sweet in flavor. I can highly recommend trying this traditional Bolivian food if you travel to the Chapare region or nearby. You can also enjoy it with some freshly made fruit juices or cocktails, typical to the tropical Chapare.

7. Habas – beans (often served as Mote de Habas)

These broad bean type of beans are consumed in the Andean regions of Bolivia as well as Peru and Ecuador. They’re high in protein and thus make a wonderful food or a snack. Only very young beans can be eaten with the shell, otherwise the shell needs to be removed.

Habas are served in various forms; sometimes they’re boiled and added to meals, sometimes roasted and salted. They also are sometimes soaked in salty water and served as a snack; I myself find this snack a bit peculiar, but once tasting it, I can totally see the appeal.

Habas are often served as a dish: mote de habas. In this case, the beans are cooked and served with fresh cheese, or with choclo (corn).

8. Puffy corn, pasankalla

This is the typical popcorn of Bolivia. Pasankalla is corn that is roasted and puffed and then slightly sweetened. The maize kernels used for making it, and the resulting popcorn, looks a bit different than the popcorn you get in Europe and North America for example. The ready popcorn pieces are also much larger.

Pasankalla is one of the most traditional Bolivian foods you’ll find, and I can highly recommend trying it during your visit in Bolivia. It is especially made in the Copacabana region by Lake Titicaca.  It is often sold from large bags at markets and on the roadsides; you can then buy the amount that you wish.

9. Salteñas – Bolivia’s own empanada

Empanadas are baked or fried crusts of dough filled with a savory filling, such as meaty, vegetable, or cheese filling. They are most commonly made and enjoyed in many Latin American countries, as well as southern European and some Asian countries. In Bolivia, they have their own special kind of empanada called salteña. These savory treats are much like any empanadas, and of course these days, along with meaty fillings, some restaurants offer vegetarian salteñas, as well.

However, salteñas are different than empanadas in that they’re actually mostly eaten hot, in the mornings. The filling is also more soup-like than thick, and is often sweet and spicy.

The soup-like consistency of the filling makes eating salteñas a fun challenge, and indeed, there is a “correct” way of eating a salteña. It involves first biting off a tip of the salteña, and then starting to slurp in the contents while slowly and carefully eating through the pastry to the thicker part of the crust and the filling. Salteña is Bolivia’s national dish, and I can’t recommend them enough – they’re one of the best things you’ll ever try.

10. Api con pastel – a special drink with a pastry

This traditional Bolivian food actually consists of a drink and a food. Api is a warm drink, purple or white in color, that has been consumed in the Altiplano region of South American countries already since pre-Spanish times. It is made of corn and it’s made spicy by flavoring it with cinnamon, sugar, and cloves. The drink is then, traditionally, served with fried cheese pastries. The combination is unique and delicious – yet another typical and popular Bolivian food to try during your visit.

Planning a trip to Bolivia? Don’t miss our ultimate 2 week Bolivia travel itinerary for the best tips.

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