South American cuisine

Due to the ethnic fusion of South America, South American cuisine has many influences. The most characteristic are Native American, African, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Indian-South Asian. The customs and food products greatly vary according to the physically distinct regions. The consumption of carne asada is wide spread throughout much of the continent. It is popular to grill in the open air as in asado or churrasco.

The food of the Andes is highly influenced by the indigenous peoples. The principal foods continue to be corn, potatoes and other tubers. The meats most characteristic of this zone are the llama (Peru) and the Guinea pig (Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Colombia). In areas where there is fresh water trout is consumed. Chupe Andino refers to various stews and soups that are prepared in the Andes mountains region. One of the most important drinks is chicha. Important dishes include humitas, Locro, Chanfaina, arepas, quimbolitos (dessert tamales), and peppers. A famous dish from the Peruvian Andes is pachamanca. From the mixture of German, native cuisine, and the Chiloe Archipelago in the southern Andes comes Valdiviano and curanto.

The wetter areas of Peru produce sugar cane, lemon, bananas, and oranges. Chancaca is popular as well as carbonara, sancocho, huevos quimbos, potato pie, and Ch'arki.

The tropical region of the continent is divided into two distinct areas, the coastal areas of the Atlantic and the Pacific and the Amazon area each with its distinct cuisines. Much of the fruits that are considered to be exotic are common in the tropical forests and fields, such as guava, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, and elderberry.

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