Latin American

Latin America

• Latin America: landmass that stretches southward from the Rio Grande to the tip of South America

• Official language is either Spanish or Portuguese, based on Latin ▫ Spanish were the first to

explore and settle

Latin American Dishes

•Chorizo: Spicy sausage, flavors many stews

•Ceviche: appetizer of raw fish marinated in citrus juice until firm & opaque ▫Fish drained and served with

chilies, tomatoes & onions •Sopa: soup features meat as the

main ingredients

Mexico

Geography and climate of Mexico•Deserts, mountains, grasslands,

woodlands, and tropical rain forests•Depending on the climate depends what

they can grow ▫North – hilly – suited for ranching▫South – coffee & sugarcane

Mexican culture

•Aztecs: original inhabitants of Mexico▫Contributed chocolate, squash, tomatoes,

vanilla, corn, peppers, peanuts tomatoes, avocadoes, bean, sweet potatoes, pineapples, papayas

▫Boiled, broiled, steamed, or ate food raw •Spanish introduced peaches, rice, beef,

wheat, oil, wine, cinnamon, cloves, apricots, & chickens

Mexican culture cont.

•Mexican life style▫Living quarter wealthiest home but simple -

handmade items Sala: living room

▫Close-knit families▫Mexican holidays

Most Roman Catholics Food plays a major role

Mexican culture cont.•Mexican agriculture

▫Farmers - cannot afford modern machinery or fertilizers

▫Land closets to United states is dry and not suitable for large animals

▫Corn is major crop - beans are second

▫Sugarcane, coffee, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, melons, citrus fruits, strawberries, and cocoa beans

▫Depending on part of the country if there is seafood or livestock, what kinds of fruit and field vegetables

Mexican Cuisine •Corn

▫Tortilla: flat, unleavened bread made from cornmeal and water Comal - lightly greased griddle Northern Mexico with use wheat flour

▫Enchiladas - fill tortillas, baked and serve with cheese and red/green tomatoes sauce

▫Tostadas - fry tortillas and garnish

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Corn

▫Quesadillas – tortilla folded around cheese & grilled

▫Burritos - tortilla wrapped around meat & beans

▫Taco - crisp, fried tortillas filled

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Corn

▫Tamale - use corn husk stuffed with masa and cook over open fire

▫Masa: corn is dried, cooked, soaked in limewater and then ground into a dough

▫Masa harina: dried ground masa – course-grained corn flour

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Bean

▫Frijoles refritios: refried beans: cook beans, smash, and fry them again Red or pinto beans

•Peppers▫Sweet peppers - mild flavor▫Chilies: hot peppers▫Red - dried except red bell and

pimientos ▫Green - ripe ▫Chipotle chilies – smoked jalapenos

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Vegetables & fruits

▫Vegetables are used in dishes but rarely eaten raw

▫Guacamole: avocadoes smashed with tomato and onion

▫Squash ▫Tomatillos – green tomatoes ▫Plantains: green starchy fruit that have a

bland flavor and look like large bananas - usually cooked

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Desserts

▫Fresh fruits and sweet tamales▫Flan - large amounts of egg and sugar (caramel

custard)▫Rice pudding

•Chocolate ▫Came to Mexico from Maya in Central America ▫Different forms of hot chocolate ▫Used in sauces and main dishes

Mexican Cuisine cont.

•Sauces and stews▫Simple sauces - chilies and/or sweet

peppers mixed with finely chopped onions and tomatoes

▫Mole: chilies, almonds, raisins, garlic, sesame seed, onions, tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, and anise food Finely chopped and added to chicken stock Just before serving add unsweetened

chocolate

▫Stews are cooked for long time over low heat

Mexican Cuisine cont.•Beverages

▫Chocolate drinks and coffee

▫Molinillo - used to beat chocolate into a foam before serving

▫Café con leche - coffee served with milk

Salsa •Salsa: may refer to any type of sauce

▫In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based, hot sauce typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as dips.

▫United States has popularized and commercialized as a Mexican creation, there are many types of salsa which usually vary throughout Latin America.

Salsa cont. •Types of salsa

▫Salsa roja - “red sauce“ - is used as a condiment in Mexican cooking Made with cooked tomatoes, chili

peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh cilantro▫Pico de gallo - “fresh sauce”, “chopped

sauce”, or "Mexican sauce" Made with raw tomatoes, lime juice, chili

peppers, onions, cilantro leaves, and other coarsely chopped raw ingredients.

▫Salsa verde - "green sauce" Made with tomatillos , usually cooked.

Salsa cont. •Types of salsa cont.

▫Mango salsa is a spicy-sweet sauce made with mangoes Used as a garnish on grilled chicken

or grilled fish due to the sauce's complementary flavors.

▫Chipotle salsa is a smoky, spicy sauce ▫Made from smoked jalapeño chili

peppers, tomatoes, garlic and spices.

Mexican Meals •Families with large incomes often eat 4

meals a day •Desayuno - substantial breakfast

▫Fruit, tortillas, bread or sweet rolls, eggs or meat, coffee or chocolate

•Comida: main meal, served in middle of the day between 1 and 3 ▫Six dishes - appetizer, soup, small dish of stew,

main course, beans, dessert, and coffee - tortillas

▫Siesta: rest period

Mexican Meals cont.

•Merienda - light snack, around 5 or 6▫Coffee or chocolate,

fruit, and pan dulce (sweet bread)

•Cena – supper – between 8 and 10▫Similar to comida but

lighter and smaller

Central America

Central America

•Allspice – flavor sweet & savory dishes▫Dried unripped berry

•Chayote – squash like fruit, eaten raw or cooked and stuffed with cheese

•Guatemalan ▫Oysters ▫Pollo pepian – chicken in a spicy

sauce with sesame and pumpkin seeds

Central America cont.

•El Salvador ▫Pupusa – corn cake filled with refried

beans, cheese & pork served with cabbage, onion, and carrot slaw

•Nicaragua ▫Nactamal – cabbage, plantain & pork

steamed in banana leaves •Costa Rica

▫Gallo pinto – fried black beans and rice ▫Arroz contuna – rice with tuna

South America

Geography and climate•Mountains•Grasslands•Jungles – Rain Forest •Forests•Plateaus•Deserts

South American Culture

•Inca: group of Native South Americans▫High level of civilization ▫Built large empire in the Andes Mountains

•Great wealth and great poverty

South American Cuisine •Food customs in South America have

developed on a regional basis because of the geographic isolation of the different areas

•European colonists introduced many staple foods ▫Wheat & hog being important to many Latin

American except Argentina & Mexico •Manioc or Cassava: starchy root plant

eaten as a side dish and used in flour form in cooking and baking

Andean Countries •Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, & Chile •Geography – mountains, seacoast, and

tropical rainforest •Usually less spicy than Mexico & Central

America •Potatoes may have originated here•Cassava and chilies thrive in tropical areas•Grazing land limited so meat often from

chickens, guinea pigs & llamas▫Llama meat salted dried to make charqui

(jerky)

Andean Countries cont.

•Ecuador ▫Bananas

•Colombia▫Potatoes high in the mountains▫Ajiaco: soup made with potatoes,

chicken, corn, and cassava▫Do not eat much meat▫Coffee is their number one export▫Coffee is available but they do not

drink much

Andean Countries cont.

•Peru ▫Reflects traditions of the Inca and Spanish▫Inca’s would preserve their potatoes by

freeze-drying them - they would freeze at night and then set them out in the sun to dry, repeat this process unit they became hard and light

▫Potatoes - used in many dishes, poverty level will depend on what they will do with potatoes

▫Aji: local chilies, used for seasoning and is made into a hot sauce

▫Ceviche: marinated raw fish

Venezuela

•Fertile soil and tropical areas•Banana, plantain, and coconut•Arepa: corn pancake similar to tortilla

Chile

•Very little red meat•Seafood is plentiful and inexpensive•Ceviche – many different forms

▫Marinated raw fish •Dished

▫Porotos granados – bean stew ▫Pastel de choclo - ground beef

casserole with corn batter topping▫Chupe de marisco – shellfish casserole

Argentina •Pampas - rich lands where large

herd of cattle and sheep are raise▫Gauchos: nomadic cowboy of the

South American pampas•Beef major industry and national

food ▫Beef often grilled outdoors

•Empanadas: small turnovers fill with meat, vegetables, & fruit ▫Appetizer

•Pasta & yeast bread are as common as tortilla

Brazil•Dende oil: palm oil that gives

dishes a bright yellow-orange color•Manioc, rice, and beans are all

staple foods•Feijoanda completa: variety of

meat served with black beans and seasonings

•Guarana fruit – whose seeds contain caffeine, is made into a popular soft drink, a powder, and syrup

Uruguay •Dulce de leche: milk cooked

with sugar slowly at low temperature and develops a taste like caramel

•Meat cooked on open flame over charcoal ▫ Meat skewered before grilling

•Hungara: spicy hot dog, popular grilled item