Local Food

Food and Drink in Bolivia

The cuisine of Bolivia primarily consists of meat and potatoes with beef, chicken and llama being popular meat choices. Pork is very uncommon and guinea pigs and rabbits are often eaten in rural areas. The food is often slightly spicy and generally of good quality.

National specialities include: Pique a lo macho (grilled meat in a spicy sauce on potatoes); Silpancho (a thin beef patty with rice and potatoes); Anticucho (Beef hearts on a skewer with potatoes); Salchipapa (sausage fried with potatoes); Choripan (Chorizo sausage); Saltena (diced meat, chicken, chives, raisins, diced potatoes, hot sauce and pepper baked in dough); Lomo montado (fried tender loin steak with two fried eggs on top, rice and fried banana); Picante de pollo (fried chicken, fried potatoes, rice, tossed salad with hot peppers); Chuno (freeze-dried potato used in soup); Lechon al horno (roast suckling pig with sweet potato and fried plantains)

Bottled water is readily available and juice bars are popular at markets. National specialities include: Vitaminico (egg, beer and sugar concoction); Licuado (water or milk blended with a combination of fruit); Mocochinchi (brewed peaches and spices mixed with water); Api (a traditional corn based drink); Chicha (an alcoholic sour brew); Singani (a grape liquor that's mixed with Sprite or ginger ale); Beer (Pacena or Huari brands are popular).

Legal drinking age in Bolivia is 18.