Latin America

Food Culture:  The diverse region of Latin America, stretching from Mexico to the southernmost tip of South America is difficult to categorize as a single food culture except for a few unifying ingredients: beans, corn, and of course, chilis. Beans vary from soups to side dishes to main courses, depending on the country and traditions. Corn is ubiquitous and it, too, can be extremely versatile: eaten directly off the cob spiced with hot sauce and cooled with goat cheese, ground into flour and made into tortillas, stuffed into peppers, made into a salsa, made into tamales, and any of literally thousands of recipes utilizing corn. And peppers are to Latin America what butter is to France—a staple condiment that adds to the intense flavors of almost any dish.

Mexico’s traditional cuisine is distinct from the simple menus seen at most Mexican restaurants throughout the world. While rice, cumin, and garlic are found in most dishes (complementing the regional staples), one uniquely Mexican dish, mole, is a paste utilizing the sweetness of chocolate or peanut butter to complement a meat or poultry. As in most countries, the local fare is dependent upon the availability of resources, resulting in the same dish being different from area to area. Lime, however, is used extensively and would garnish a Mexican table like bread and butter would in the United States.

Central American cuisine is heavily influenced by the Spanish and Maya cultures, flavored with hot peppers, peanuts, and tropical fruits. The combinations of sweet and spicy are used extensively in flavoring the small animal meats of the inland and the seafood of the coasts. Ceviches, raw seafood cooked by acidic citrus fruits, are extremely simple, yet versatile and popular dishes. And moving south into northwestern South America, bananas, plantains, and coconuts abound. One popular snack food is a coconut half, drained of milk, spiced with chili powder.

Brazil and Argentina are characterized by their extensive use of beef—in three meals a day! In fact, beef even makes it into pastries in the region, in empanadas. Of course, a healthy cattle industry provides for healthy cheese production. Soft, crumbly cheeses made from cow, sheep, and goat milk are popular in many entrees.

Tamales are cooked throughout Latin America, although they vary in fats used, fillings, and casing. Gourds and potatoes also make up significant portions of the diets, although they are generally not considered staples of most meals. And wine produced throughout the region is slowly taking its place on the region’s tables. As long as you can stand the heat, Latin American cuisine packs a flavorful punch. Taste the Culture of Latin America!

Latin America encompasses all of the (latin-derived) romance language-speaking countries in the Americas. In other words, Latin America stretches from Mexico to the southernmost reaches of South America in Argentina and Chile. Originally home to some advanced ancient civilizations, including the Aztecs and Mayans, for example, European colonization beginning from the days of Columbus ultimately came to shape the culture and history of the region.

Spain and Portugal originally laid claim to much of the region, however, many of the nations had gained their independence by the beginning of the 20th century.

Today, locals refer to the region as "dozens of countries separated by a common language" to indicate the disdain between the peoples of the individual countries. National identity is strong within the countries so much so that a shared history, culture, and language cannot bridge the gap. To learn more about Latin America, please see the Research the Continents page.