About South American food

From the high protein, high energy, meat loving Argentineans and their asado, to the refined cuisine of the fish loving Peruvians, South America has it all. The region’s cuisine is not just the cooking of indigenous Indians, colonialist Spanish and Portuguese or their African slaves, but, instead, a fantastic blend of all those culinary traditions.

This is the continent that gave the world some of its favourite staples, such as chocolate (Mayan, Honduras), corn, tomatoes (native from Mexico to Argentina), vanilla (Mexico), potatoes (Andes), and chillies (Ecuador).

South American cuisine is immensely varied, with a dish for every climate and occasion. From the mountains of the Andes to the rainforest of the Amazon, it encompasses some of the driest places on earth, and some of the wettest.

Asado.

Like its vivacious people and cultures, South American food is full of bright colours. Corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, chillies and potatoes appear regularly in local cooking in their myriad of shades, and all contribute to the lively palette of South American cuisine - brilliant greens, reds and purples that tango on your tastebuds.

Chimichurri.

It’s not about food for food’s sake. South Americans don’t just eat to be sustained. They eat to party, to mourn, and to reconnect with family and friends. It’s a vital part of the social fabric.

 

View our South American recipe collection here.