Paraguayan Cuisine

Paraguayan cuisine can be considered as a mottled mix of Native Americans’ cooking traditions and those ones of European immigrants. As a result, nowadays a national cuisine of Paraguay is established, which fascinates and impresses with predominance of crops in almost every dish and a big variety of tropical and subtropical products. Due to the changeable climate and natural conditions within a country there are slight differences between regions in style of food. For instance, hints on European meals are observed in southern and southeastern regions, where dairy products, meats, greens and various vegetables are quite popular. Numerous crops, especially maize and cassava, as well as traditional bread Chipa made ​​from corn or Yukka (the same cassava), or more common Sopa of different sorts of grain, are a common feature for all regions of the country.  By the way, some cooking issues are similar to those ones in Latin America, such as roasting meat over charcoal or open fire, substituting potatoes with cassava and poor usage of spices, which makes Paraguayan cuisine inelaborate and simple. You may drop in at any restaurant in Paraguay and help yourself to whatever you fancy to try in this country.

In order to disclose the peculiarities of national food it is appropriate to define main classic dishes, popular quick snacks and prevalent beverages.

Classic Courses

They includes a big variety of dishes made from meat and cassava. Among them one should point out:

•  Locro, which is simple braised maize.
•  Mazamorra (known also as kaguyjy) or cornmeal mush - consists of crushed, softened maize (usually it is a native kind locro) boiled in water with fern ash or baking soda. It is also served as a dessert – a sweet dish made from crushed corn, sugar and honey.
• Parrillada, prepared from various cuts of meat cooked over coals.
• So'o Ku'I, a pie made of rice and meat.
• Solid soups like Bori bori (a broth with cheese and corn), Sopa paraguaya (corn flour, pig fat, cheese and milk or whey), Soyo (with meat crushed in a mortar, seasoned with several spices and vegetables), So’o Yosopy (prepared from ground beef and corn).
• Surubi fish, which can be served in different kinds.  

Quick Snacks

Milanesa is a mix of dishes, which comprises a big part of quick snacks within a country. It usually includes breaded fried meat and a variety of pancakes served with salad and meat, or all sorts of sandwiches, as well as the legendary pies with various fillings, empanadas, which are traditional for the entire Latin America. In addition, tourist might try the cold soup Gaspacho, made of grated cucumbers and tomatoes, traditional fried potatoes, vegetable stew Saltado or there is always a big number of local fruits and vegetables.

Drinks

In contrast to those countries rich in wineries or other specific drinks, Paraguay also has some authentic items to offer. Certainly, among beverages the top-priority belongs to mate, the discovery of which is a subject of constant disputes between Paraguay and neighboring countries. All in all, this tonic, made of dried leaves of yerba mate tree steeped in hot water, is a part of everyday life of local inhabitants, which plays a role of tea, coffee and other drinks as well. Other traditional drinks worth tasting include Mosto, which is sugar cane juice, and its alcoholic version Caña (distilled from sugar cane and honey).

Despite the fact that Paraguayan food is not very popular around the world, its traditions and cooking styles might alert an attention of many travelers, especially those ones, who consider themselves as gourmets. In particular, the combination of corn and meat products on the back of a huge diversity of tropical fruits and vegetables is a characteristic feature of this cuisine. Visit one of top 10 restaurants in Paraguay in order to have the best of it.