Latin America is a nirvana for foodies. Over the past few years, the culinary scene here has burst onto the global stage making it the hottest and most exciting food culture on the planet. Taking traditional ingredients and using modern techniques, they have managed to introduce ancient dishes to the modern palate, creating tastes and textures that are as unique as they are delicious. Food here is a passion and with an abundance of fresh local ingredients, farm-to-table experiences are a way of life and nowhere are culture, faith and food more intrinsically linked.
Latin America's incredible food is a mixture of indigenous and Spanish ingredients, as well traditional African foods brought over from slaves. In Colombia and Cuba, the African influence is most prevalent. In Mexico, contemporary cuisine has its origins from the Maya and Aztecs, fused with flavours introduced by their Spanish conquerors. In Peru and Ecuador, traditional ingredients of the Incas combined with Spanish, then subsequent waves of immigration of Chinese, Japanese and other Europeans has shaped their modern cuisine. Finally, Argentina’s cuisine is strongly Mediterranean influenced, firstly by the Spanish colonialists and then by the huge wave of Italians and other Europeans who came in the late 19th century.
Asado
The Spanish first brought cattle to Argentina in the 16th century where they quickly thrived on the plentiful grass, producing leaner, more flavourful and nutritious meat. The gauchos quickly developed a love of beef and would roast it over a slow-burning fire on a skewered metal structure called an ‘asador’. The gauchos also used wood from the quebracho tree to cook the meat because it did not produce a lot of smoke and gave the meat a rich flavour. This formed the basis of the gaucho diet, accompanied with some maté tea. Modern restaurants still use this same method to cook their meat, and all parts of the cow are utilised. 
Ceviche
Mexico and Ecuador both have their own version of this dish; however no one can compete with the fresh, tangy goodness of Peruvian ceviche. This dish has its roots from 2,000 years ago when the Mochica people on the Peruvian coast prepared a dish of fresh fish cooked in the juices of a local fruit called tumbo. The Spanish introduced new ingredients such as onion and lemon to evolve into the dish we love today. If in Lima, make sure you visit La Mar, which in our opinion is the best ceviche restaurant hands down.
Arepa
A delectable, fluffy, white dough shaped in the form of a saucer and made mainly of corn flour is Colombia’s delicious contribution to Latin American cuisine. This popular dish can be filled with various accompaniments such as cheese, avocado, beans or meat and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, either as a snack or a main meal. A very versatile dish indeed!
Empanada
Many Latin American countries claim these delicious parcels of meat, cheese and vegetables as their own; however we consider the best empanadas to come from Argentina, not surprisingly due to the quality of meat. In particular, in Argentina’s Salta region, widely considered to be the ground zero for empanadas, one can find the most delectable empanadas salteñas. Generally served as snacks during parties and festivals, no trip to Argentina is complete without trying one of these savoury delights.
Feijoada
The word feijoada comes from the word 'feijão', which is Portuguese for beans. Feijoada is a black bean stew that is brewed with a variety of salted and smoked pork and beef products from dried meat to smoked pork spareribs. The more traditional feijoada also includes cuts such as pig’s ears, feet and tails, and beef tongue. The rich, smoky stew is then served with rice, sautéed collard greens or kale, orange slices and topped with farofa or toasted cassava flour. The meal is just as warm, comforting, rich and vibrant as the music, people and culture of Brazil.
Taco
Crunchy or soft and with a variety of ingredient choices, this favourite treat of Mexico is simple, but ridiculously delicious that it is impossible to stop at just one. Starting out as a working-class food for miners, this humble wrapped tortilla is still found on almost every street corner in Mexico, but has also infiltrated the city’s top restaurants, with Mexico City’s famous fine dining restaurant, Pujol, opening its own taco bar. 
Dulce de Leche
Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru are just some of the countries in Latin America that dispute the origins of this delicacy, although only Uruguay and Argentina call it by the name 'dulce de leche'. It is made from a process of caramelising milk, and is traditionally made with milk, sugar and vanilla. Dulce de leche is the most popular sweet treat in Latin America and people often have it for breakfast, most commonly on toast, but also on pancakes or waffles. 
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Cuy, Peru - Roasted guinea pig, a sometimes controversial dish for pet lovers but in Peru, guinea pigs are not reared as domesticated pets but purely bred for food, and have been a source of nutritious food for the Inca for centuries. Sometimes, the meat is served off the bone and could be easily mistaken for richly spiced rabbit. However, the true Peruvian way consists of eating the whole thing, barbecued and served on a spit.
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Escamoles, Mexico - Known as Mexican caviar, this is actually ant larvae. This delicacy, which resembles pine nuts or corn kernels, has a nutty, buttery taste and a cottage cheese-like mouthfeel.
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Moripan, Argentina - Do not be fooled by the word ending in 'pan' (bread). This is not a conventional sandwich, but a 'morcilla' or blood sausage inside a toasted square bun similar to a ciabatta. For more conservative taste buds, the 'Choripán' is the combination of a chorizo sausage (chori) and bread, very mild but rich.
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Sopa de Mondongo, Colombia - a thick, chunky soup full of pork meat, sausage, and the key ingredient, beef tripe. The tripe soaks up all of the spices and seasonings used to make the punchy broth and the result is a delicious, fiery stew served with rice and cool avocado to balance the flavours.
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Huitlacoche, Mexico - also known as corn mushroom or Mexican truffle, it is a fungus which randomly grows on organic corn. It is delicious but also rare, as it develops on the corn ears as they ripen after the rainy season.
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Coração de Frango, Brazil - These chewy chicken hearts make a great addition to Brazil’s staple rice and beans combo and are widely eaten across Brazil, from barbecues to business lunches. They can be seasoned with simple salt and pepper, but sometimes come marinated in garlic, red wine and herbs.
We celebrate Latin cuisine for its richness – both in culture and flavours. To Latinos, food is more than just fuel, it represents an identity of place that ties them closest to their European roots.
