Eating the same type of food day after day can become really boring. Cooking also becomes nothing more than a chore when you're always making the same old stand-by dishes. To rediscover the joys of the kitchen, it might be time to expand your culinary horizons and try something new. Latin American cooking recipes are ideal, since they often use ingredients that are easy to find and they won't be too strange for the kids to try as well.
Many people think of burritos and tacos when they think of the cuisine of Latin America. However, the region is huge, with many different cultures. The landscape varies too, with tropical jungles, high mountain regions, wide plains, deserts and a coastline that stretches from the tropics to sub-polar regions. This means that there is a wide variety of ingredients to use and inevitable there are huge regional variations in what people eat.
When the Spanish came to the Americas, they took several New World foods back to Europe, forever changing the way people eat. It's almost impossible to think of what Italians used to eat before they discovered the versatility of the tomato, for instance. Corn is a starch from Central America that quickly spread to the rest of the world but is still a staple in its region of origin too. It's used to make tortillas, tamales, pupusas and many other dishes.
Another staple from the Americas is the potato, which came from the Andean highlands and is still eaten almost everywhere. In tropical areas the plantain is often used instead and manioc is a Caribbean favorite. Rice often comes with red or black beans and it can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Different varieties of squash are just some of the vegetables served as well.
The meat of choice for many is pork, unless you're on the plains of Argentina or Paraguay, where you'll be served mountains of beef grilled to perfection. Chicken is eaten everywhere as well. Coastal communities, as well as those who live along large rivers or on the shores of lakes, often eat fish and other types of seafood and a refreshing dish is ceviche, which originally came from Peru.
There's nothing like something sweet to end a good meal. Desserts that are eaten almost everywhere, with slight regional differences in their preparation, include tres leches cake, flan and a caramel spread known as dulce de leche. For certain religious festivals you'll also find special desserts and cakes.
The region also boasts many interesting fruits that provide a healthier snack, from the more familiar mangoes and papayas to more exotic fruits such as jocotes and maracuyas. These fruits are often blended into refreshing smoothies. Some non-alcoholic drinks are made with rather unusual ingredients, such as rice or corn. When it comes to alcohol, rum is one of the most popular.
To find Latin American recipes, you can simply search online on food sites. You'll also find cookery books that include dishes from the region. To learn how to make authentic dishes, however, it's best to visit a country such as Mexico, Brazil or Argentina and take some classes. It's a great excuse for a vacation too.
Many people think of burritos and tacos when they think of the cuisine of Latin America. However, the region is huge, with many different cultures. The landscape varies too, with tropical jungles, high mountain regions, wide plains, deserts and a coastline that stretches from the tropics to sub-polar regions. This means that there is a wide variety of ingredients to use and inevitable there are huge regional variations in what people eat.
When the Spanish came to the Americas, they took several New World foods back to Europe, forever changing the way people eat. It's almost impossible to think of what Italians used to eat before they discovered the versatility of the tomato, for instance. Corn is a starch from Central America that quickly spread to the rest of the world but is still a staple in its region of origin too. It's used to make tortillas, tamales, pupusas and many other dishes.
Another staple from the Americas is the potato, which came from the Andean highlands and is still eaten almost everywhere. In tropical areas the plantain is often used instead and manioc is a Caribbean favorite. Rice often comes with red or black beans and it can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Different varieties of squash are just some of the vegetables served as well.
The meat of choice for many is pork, unless you're on the plains of Argentina or Paraguay, where you'll be served mountains of beef grilled to perfection. Chicken is eaten everywhere as well. Coastal communities, as well as those who live along large rivers or on the shores of lakes, often eat fish and other types of seafood and a refreshing dish is ceviche, which originally came from Peru.
There's nothing like something sweet to end a good meal. Desserts that are eaten almost everywhere, with slight regional differences in their preparation, include tres leches cake, flan and a caramel spread known as dulce de leche. For certain religious festivals you'll also find special desserts and cakes.
The region also boasts many interesting fruits that provide a healthier snack, from the more familiar mangoes and papayas to more exotic fruits such as jocotes and maracuyas. These fruits are often blended into refreshing smoothies. Some non-alcoholic drinks are made with rather unusual ingredients, such as rice or corn. When it comes to alcohol, rum is one of the most popular.
To find Latin American recipes, you can simply search online on food sites. You'll also find cookery books that include dishes from the region. To learn how to make authentic dishes, however, it's best to visit a country such as Mexico, Brazil or Argentina and take some classes. It's a great excuse for a vacation too.
