Cuisines of the Americas
Flavours of two continents, from the grill to corn and chili.
🇺🇸 United States
American cooking is a mosaic of immigrant and Native traditions — from Texas barbecue and Southern Creole dishes to city burgers and New England pies.
Classic Hamburger
A grilled beef patty in a soft bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and sauces — America's most famous food worldwide.
Hot Dog
A grilled sausage in a long bun with mustard, onion and relish — the icon of ballparks and New York carts (beef franks for halal).
Texas BBQ Brisket
Beef brisket smoked low and slow for 12 hours over oak until meltingly tender with a black peppery bark — the king of Texas barbecue.
Southern Fried Chicken
Chicken pieces soaked in buttermilk, coated in seasoned flour and fried extra-crisp — from the American South.
Mac and Cheese
Elbow macaroni in creamy Cheddar sauce, baked with a crunchy crumb topping — America's comfort food.
New England Clam Chowder
A thick creamy soup of clams, potatoes and onion, served with oyster crackers — the emblem of Boston.
Buffalo Wings
Crisp chicken wings tossed in buttery hot sauce, served with blue cheese dip and celery — from Buffalo, New York.
American Apple Pie
Double-crust apple pie with flaky butter pastry and cinnamon, served with vanilla ice cream — "as American as apple pie".
New York Cheesecake
Dense, creamy cream-cheese cheesecake on a graham cracker base, baked slowly and chilled overnight.
American Pancakes
Thick, fluffy pancakes stacked high with butter and maple syrup — the American Sunday breakfast.
Cornbread
Golden cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet, slightly sweet with crisp edges — the partner of barbecue and chili.
Louisiana Gumbo
Louisiana's thick stew built on a dark roux, with okra, shrimp, chicken and sausage, served over white rice.
Jambalaya
A New Orleans Creole one-pot rice with chicken, sausage, shrimp, tomatoes and spicy seasoning.
Chili con Carne
A spicy beef stew with chili peppers, cumin, tomatoes and kidney beans — the official dish of Texas.
Philly Cheesesteak
Thinly shaved steak fried with onions and melted cheese in a long roll — the symbol of Philadelphia.
Cobb Salad
Hollywood's famous salad with rows of chicken, avocado, egg, tomato, bacon and blue cheese over lettuce.
Fudgy Brownies
Dense, fudgy chocolate squares with a shiny crackly top, served with milk or ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter and brown-sugar cookies with chocolate chips, crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle — invented by Ruth Wakefield in 1938.
Maine Lobster Roll
Maine lobster meat in a butter-toasted split-top bun, dressed with light mayo or warm melted butter.
Pecan Pie
A Southern pie with a gooey brown-sugar and egg filling topped with toasted pecans, served at Thanksgiving.
🇲🇽 Mexico
Mexican cuisine is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, built on corn, beans and chili since Aztec and Maya times, with Spanish touches.
Tacos al Pastor
Slices of meat marinated in dried chilies and pineapple, roasted on a vertical spit (a legacy of Lebanese immigrants) and served in corn tortillas.
Mole Poblano
Puebla's famous sauce of dozens of ingredients — dried chilies, chocolate, nuts and spices — served over chicken.
Enchiladas Rojas
Corn tortillas rolled around shredded chicken, bathed in red chili sauce and topped with cheese and cream.
Chiles en Nogada
Poblano peppers stuffed with meat and fruit, covered in white walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds and parsley — in the colours of the Mexican flag.
Pozole Rojo
A soup of large hominy corn with meat in red chili broth, garnished with cabbage, radish, oregano and lime.
Tamales
Corn masa dough filled with meat in green or red salsa, wrapped in corn husks and steamed.
Guacamole
Avocado mashed in a stone molcajete with onion, tomato, chili, coriander and lime — from the Aztecs.
Chilaquiles
Fried tortilla chips simmered briefly in red or green salsa and topped with egg, cheese and cream — a beloved Mexican breakfast.
Cochinita Pibil
Meat marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked — from the Yucatán. Use chicken thighs or lamb shoulder for halal.
Quesadillas
Folded tortillas filled with stretchy Oaxaca cheese, cooked on a comal until melted, sometimes with squash blossom or mushrooms.
Elote
Grilled corn on the cob slathered in mayo and sprinkled with cotija cheese, chili and lime — from street carts.
Sopa de Tortilla
A tomato and pasilla chili broth with crisp tortilla strips, avocado, cheese and cream.
Carne Asada
Steak marinated in lime, garlic and coriander, grilled over charcoal and sliced thin for tacos with guacamole.
Huevos Rancheros
Fried eggs on toasted tortillas under spicy tomato salsa, with refried beans — the ranch breakfast.
Birria de Res
Beef or goat slow-braised in dried chili and spice broth, served in broth-dipped tacos (quesabirria) — from Jalisco.
Pastel de Tres Leches
A sponge soaked in three milks (condensed, evaporated and cream), topped with whipped cream.
Flan Napolitano
A dense caramel custard with condensed milk and cream cheese, baked in a water bath and turned out under its caramel.
Agua de Horchata
A cold rice drink with cinnamon, vanilla and milk — one of Mexico's favourite "aguas frescas".
Conchas
Soft sweet buns with a crunchy sugar topping scored like a seashell, eaten with coffee or hot chocolate.
Pico de Gallo
A fresh salsa of tomato, onion, chili, coriander and lime that goes with every Mexican dish.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazilian cooking blends Indigenous, African and Portuguese roots, built on beans, rice and cassava, and famous for churrasco grilling and coconut and chocolate sweets.
Feijoada
Brazil's national dish: black bean stew with smoked and salted meats, served with rice, farofa, collard greens and orange. For halal, use beef and beef sausage.
Pão de Queijo
Small chewy cheese breads made with cassava starch, crisp outside — from Minas Gerais.
Moqueca Baiana
A Bahian fish stew with coconut milk, dendê palm oil, tomatoes, peppers and coriander, cooked in a clay pot.
Coxinha
Teardrop-shaped dough filled with shredded chicken and cream cheese, crumbed and fried — Brazil's star snack.
Brigadeiro
Soft chocolate truffles of condensed milk, cocoa and butter rolled in sprinkles — at every Brazilian party.
Picanha
The most prized cut of Brazilian churrasco, skewered with its fat cap and grilled with only coarse salt.
Acarajé
Black-eyed pea fritters fried in dendê oil and stuffed with vatapá, prawns and hot sauce — Salvador's Afro-Brazilian street food.
Farofa
Cassava flour toasted with butter and onion, sprinkled over feijoada and barbecue to soak up juices.
Vatapá
A thick cream of bread, coconut milk, shrimp, peanuts, cashews and dendê oil, from Bahian cooking.
Pastel de Feira
Thin rectangular pastries fried until puffed, filled with meat, cheese or chicken, sold at street markets with sugarcane juice.
Açaí na Tigela
Frozen Amazonian açaí pulp blended with banana, served in a bowl with granola, fruit and honey.
Bobó de Camarão
Prawns in a cream of mashed cassava, coconut milk and dendê oil — a festive Bahian dish.
Escondidinho
Shredded dried beef "hidden" under a layer of mashed cassava and cheese, baked until golden.
Arroz Carreteiro
Rice cooked with dried beef or leftover barbecue, onion and tomato — the food of southern cart drivers.
Quindim
A glossy yellow custard of egg yolks, sugar and coconut baked in a water bath — a legacy of Portuguese convent sweets.
Pudim de Leite
Brazilian caramel custard with condensed milk, ultra-smooth, cooked in a ring mould.
Tapioca Crepe
A crêpe of nothing but moistened cassava starch that sets on a hot pan, filled with cheese, coconut or banana — from the Northeast.
Feijão Tropeiro
Beans mixed with cassava flour, eggs, onion, collard greens and crisp meat — food of the muleteers of Minas Gerais.
Galinhada
Rice and chicken cooked together with turmeric, tomato and pepper — a country dish from Goiás.
Beijinho
"Little kiss": sweets of condensed milk and coconut topped with a clove — brigadeiro's sister.
🇦🇷 Argentina
Argentine cooking is a cuisine of beef and the asado grill, strongly shaped by Italian and Spanish immigrants, famous for empanadas, dulce de leche and mate.
Asado Argentino
Argentina's grilling ritual: cuts of beef and sausage slow-grilled over wood embers with only coarse salt, served with chimichurri.
Empanadas Salteñas
Half-moon pastries with braided edges filled with knife-cut beef, onion, egg, olives and cumin, baked or fried.
Chimichurri
A green sauce of parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, oil and chili — the partner of every Argentine grill.
Milanesa a la Napolitana
A breaded, fried beef cutlet topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese — a Buenos Aires classic.
Dulce de Leche
Argentina's thick milk caramel slow-cooked for hours, spread on toast and used in countless desserts.
Alfajores de Maicena
Two crumbly cornflour biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche and edged with coconut — of Andalusian-Arab origin.
Locro
A thick stew of white corn, beans, squash and meat, eaten on national day (25 May) — of Andean origin.
Choripán
Grilled chorizo in crusty bread with chimichurri — the first bite of every asado and football match.
Provoleta
A thick disc of provolone grilled over embers until melting inside and crisp outside, sprinkled with oregano and chili.
Matambre Arrollado
A thin flank of beef rolled around eggs, carrots, peppers and herbs, poached and served cold in colourful slices.
Humita en Chala
Fresh corn paste with onion, cheese and basil, wrapped in corn husks and boiled — from northwestern Argentina.
Carbonada Criolla
A beef stew with squash, corn, sweet potato and dried peaches or apricots, sometimes served inside a whole pumpkin.
Pastel de Papa
Minced beef with onion, olives and boiled egg under a golden mashed-potato crust — Argentina's take on cottage pie.
Medialunas
Small sweet Argentine croissants brushed with shiny syrup, eaten for breakfast with coffee or mate.
Mate
An infusion of yerba mate leaves sipped from a hollow gourd through a metal straw (bombilla) and passed among friends — the symbol of Argentine hospitality.
Revuelto Gramajo
Crisp shoestring potatoes scrambled with eggs, onion, peas and ham — a late-night Buenos Aires dish.
Fugazzeta
A thick Buenos Aires-style pizza stuffed with cheese and piled with onions — created by Italian immigrants.
Panqueques con Dulce de Leche
Thin crêpes rolled around dulce de leche, sometimes caramelised with sugar — a restaurant favourite.
Vitel Toné
Cold sliced veal in a tuna, mayonnaise and caper sauce — a Christmas dish in Argentina of Italian origin.
Ñoquis del 29
Potato gnocchi that Argentines eat on the 29th of every month, with money under the plate for good fortune.
🇵🇪 Peru
Peruvian cuisine is among the world's most diverse and acclaimed, combining the Inca legacy with Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese influences — famous for ceviche and hundreds of potato varieties.
Ceviche Peruano
Very fresh raw white fish "cooked" in lime juice with red onion, chili and coriander, served with sweet potato and corn — Peru's national dish.
Lomo Saltado
Beef strips stir-fried over fierce heat in a wok with onion, tomato and soy sauce, served with fries and rice — a Peruvian-Chinese fusion.
Ají de Gallina
Shredded chicken in a creamy yellow sauce of ají amarillo, bread, milk and walnuts, served with rice, potatoes, egg and olives.
Causa Limeña
Layers of yellow potato mashed with lime and ají amarillo, filled with tuna or chicken salad and avocado.
Anticuchos
Skewers of beef heart marinated in vinegar, chili and cumin, grilled on street corners — a legacy of Afro-Peruvian cooking.
Rocoto Relleno
Hot rocoto peppers stuffed with minced beef, olives, raisins and egg, topped with cheese and baked — from Arequipa.
Papa a la Huancaína
Boiled yellow potatoes covered in a creamy sauce of fresh cheese, ají amarillo, milk and crackers.
Arroz con Pollo
Green rice coloured with puréed coriander and cooked in dark beer (or stock), with chicken, peas, carrots and peppers.
Pollo a la Brasa
Chicken marinated in cumin, soy and garlic and spit-roasted over charcoal — Peru's most-ordered meal, with fries and green chili sauce.
Tacu Tacu
Leftover rice and beans pan-fried into a crisp pillow, served with steak, fried egg and fried plantain.
Seco de Cordero
Lamb stew in a thick green coriander sauce, served with beans and rice — from northern Peru.
Chupe de Camarones
A rich creamy soup from Arequipa with river shrimp, potatoes, corn, egg, cheese and milk.
Arroz Chaufa
Peruvian-Chinese (chifa) fried rice with chicken, egg, spring onion and soy sauce.
Picarones
Fried rings of squash and sweet-potato dough drizzled with spiced chancaca (raw sugar) syrup.
Suspiro a la Limeña
"Sigh of a Lima lady": thick dulce de leche custard crowned with cinnamon meringue — Lima's classic dessert.
Mazamorra Morada
A purple pudding of purple corn, dried fruit and cinnamon, served cold — a popular Lima dessert.
Chicha Morada
A refreshing cold drink of purple corn boiled with pineapple, cinnamon, cloves and lime — alcohol-free.
Tiradito
Thin slices of raw fish, sashimi-style, bathed in lime and ají amarillo sauce — born of Japanese (Nikkei) influence.
Carapulcra
A stew of dried potato (papa seca) with meat, peanuts and ají panca — one of Peru's oldest dishes.
Juane
Turmeric rice with chicken, egg and olives wrapped in bijao leaves and boiled — the Peruvian Amazon's dish for the San Juan festival.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canadian cooking brings together Indigenous, French, British and immigrant traditions, famous for maple syrup, poutine, Pacific salmon and Atlantic lobster.
Poutine
Crisp fries topped with squeaky fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy that softens them — from Quebec.
Butter Tarts
Small tarts with a gooey filling of butter, brown sugar, syrup and egg, with raisins or pecans — a truly Canadian sweet.
Nanaimo Bars
A no-bake three-layer bar: a crumb, coconut and chocolate base, custard buttercream, and a chocolate top.
Tourtière
A Québécois meat pie spiced with cinnamon and cloves, served on Christmas Eve and New Year.
Tire d'Érable
Boiled maple syrup poured onto clean snow where it firms up, then rolled onto a stick — a springtime "sugar shack" tradition.
Bannock
A simple quick bread made by Canada's Indigenous peoples over a fire or in a pan, eaten with jam or soup.
Peameal Bacon Sandwich
Slices of cured loin rolled in cornmeal, griddled and served in a soft bun with mustard — Toronto's icon. For halal, use brined turkey breast.
Montreal Smoked Meat
Cured, spiced, smoked and then steamed beef brisket, piled thick on rye with mustard — from Montreal.
Montreal Bagels
Small, dense, slightly sweet bread rings boiled in honey water and baked in a wood-fired oven with sesame.
BeaverTails
Flat dough stretched like a beaver's tail, fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar — a winter treat from Ottawa.
Soupe aux Pois
Thick yellow pea soup with vegetables and smoked hock (smoked beef for halal), from Quebec settler cooking.
Pouding Chômeur
A simple cake batter baked over hot maple syrup that turns into a caramel sauce underneath — born in the Great Depression.
Saskatoon Berry Pie
A pie of wild saskatoon berries from the Canadian prairies, like blueberries with an almond note.
Cedar Plank Salmon
Pacific salmon grilled on a soaked cedar plank for a smoky flavour — from Indigenous traditions of British Columbia.
Nova Scotia Boiled Lobster
Live Atlantic lobster boiled in salted water and served with melted butter and lemon — the pride of the East Coast.
Pâté Chinois
Layers of minced beef, creamed corn and mashed potato — a Québécois family dish similar to shepherd's pie.
Fish and Brewis
Salt cod with soaked hardtack biscuits, served with crisp scrunchions — from Newfoundland.
Jiggs Dinner
Newfoundland's Sunday dinner: boiled salt beef with cabbage, carrots, turnip, potatoes and pease pudding.
Blueberry Grunt
Stewed blueberries with sweet dumplings steamed on top — an old Atlantic coast dessert.
Halifax Donair
Spiced beef roasted on a vertical spit and wrapped in pita with a sweet condensed-milk garlic sauce — from Halifax.
🇨🇴 Colombia
Colombian cooking ranges from the Andes to the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, built on corn, beans, plantain and potatoes, and led by arepas and bandeja paisa.
Bandeja Paisa
Antioquia's mighty platter: red beans, rice, ground beef, sausage, fried egg, plantain, avocado and arepa on one plate.
Ajiaco Santafereño
Bogotá's soup of three kinds of potato with chicken, corn and guascas herb, served with cream, capers and avocado.
Arepas
Discs of pre-cooked corn flour grilled on a griddle and eaten with butter and cheese or stuffed — Colombia's daily bread.
Sancocho de Gallina
A hearty country soup of chicken, cassava, green plantain, corn and potatoes, cooked over wood at family gatherings.
Empanadas Colombianas
Crisp yellow-cornmeal empanadas filled with beef and potato, fried and served with spicy ají sauce.
Tamales Tolimenses
Corn and rice dough filled with chicken, meat, egg, peas and carrots, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled — Sunday breakfast.
Changua
A breakfast soup of milk and spring onion with eggs poached in it, served with stale bread and coriander — from Bogotá.
Arroz con Coco
Caribbean sweet-savoury rice turned brown by caramelised coconut, served with fried fish and plantain.
Posta Negra Cartagenera
Cartagena beef braised in a dark glossy sauce of caramelised sugar, soy and spices, served with coconut rice.
Mondongo
Colombian tripe soup with vegetables, potatoes, cassava and hogao, served with rice and avocado.
Patacones
Green plantain slices fried twice after flattening, crisp and salty, served with hogao or guacamole.
Buñuelos Colombianos
Fried balls of costeño cheese and cassava starch, golden and puffy, eaten at Christmas with natilla.
Natilla Colombiana
A Christmas pudding of milk, panela, cornflour and cinnamon that sets and is cut into squares.
Obleas con Arequipe
Two large thin wafers filled with arequipe (dulce de leche), jam and cheese — a street sweet.
Arepa de Huevo
A fried arepa opened up with an egg cracked inside, then fried again — from the Caribbean coast.
Cazuela de Mariscos
A creamy seafood stew with coconut milk, mixed seafood and hogao, from San Andrés and the Caribbean.
Sobrebarriga
Flank steak simmered slowly then browned in the oven with tomato sauce, served with potatoes and rice.
Pandebono
Small rolls of cassava starch, corn flour and cheese, soft and chewy, from Valle del Cauca.
Aborrajados
Ripe fried plantain stuffed with cheese, dipped in a sweet batter and fried again — from Cali.
Almojábanas
Small soft cheese breads of corn flour and fresh cheese, served with coffee or hot chocolate — of Andalusian-Arab origin.
🇨🇺 Cuba
Cuban cooking is Creole — Spanish blended with African and Caribbean — built on rice, black beans, plantain, cassava and garlicky sour-orange mojo.
Ropa Vieja
Cuba's national dish: beef simmered and shredded into strands in a sauce of tomato, peppers and onion — the name means "old clothes".
Moros y Cristianos
Rice and black beans cooked together in one pot with sofrito, cumin and oregano.
Picadillo a la Habanera
Ground beef cooked with tomato, olives, raisins and capers — sweet and savoury, served with rice.
Lechón Asado
Meat slow-roasted after marinating in garlicky sour-orange mojo — the Christmas Eve feast. Traditionally pork; use lamb shoulder for halal.
Sándwich Cubano
Cuban bread filled with roast meat, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed and toasted until crisp.
Yuca con Mojo
Tender boiled cassava drenched in a sauce of garlic, olive oil, sour orange and onion.
Tostones
Green plantain slices fried twice and smashed, dipped in garlic mojo.
Ajiaco Cubano
A thick Cuban stew of meat, corn, cassava, plantain, squash and sweet potato — symbolising the island's mixed heritage.
Vaca Frita
Boiled, shredded beef marinated in mojo then pan-fried crisp with onions — "fried cow".
Fricasé de Pollo
Chicken stewed in tomato sauce with potatoes, olives, raisins and capers — an everyday family dish.
Tamal en Cazuela
Fresh corn porridge cooked in a pot with meat and sofrito — an easy alternative to wrapped tamales.
Papa Rellena
Mashed potato balls stuffed with picadillo, crumbed and fried.
Croquetas Cubanas
Crisp, creamy fingers of chicken or ham in thick béchamel, eaten in cafés with coffee.
Flan Cubano
A dense flan of condensed and evaporated milk and eggs under dark caramel.
Pastelitos de Guayaba
Puff pastry turnovers filled with guava paste and cream cheese, glazed with syrup and eaten with Cuban coffee.
Boniatillo
A creamy dessert of mashed sweet potato with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and egg yolks.
Café Cubano
Strong sweet espresso whose first drops are whipped with sugar into a creamy foam (espumita).
Frita Cubana
A paprika-spiced Cuban burger served in a soft bun with onion and crispy shoestring potatoes.
Plátanos Maduros
Very ripe plantain fried until caramelised outside and sweet and soft within — alongside every Cuban meal.
Arroz Imperial
Layers of yellow chicken rice with mayonnaise and cheese, baked until golden — a Cuban party dish.
🇨🇱 Chile
Chilean cooking stretches along a long Pacific coastline below the Andes, combining rich seafood with corn and beans and Spanish, Mapuche and German-immigrant traditions.
Empanadas de Pino
Chile's large baked empanadas filled with "pino" — minced beef with lots of onion, cumin and paprika, plus an olive, egg and raisins — eaten on national holidays.
Pastel de Choclo
A summer bake of pino, chicken, egg and olives under a layer of fresh basil-scented corn paste, sprinkled with sugar and browned in the oven.
Cazuela de Vacuno
A rustic soup where each bowl holds a big piece of beef, a wedge of squash, corn and a potato, with rice and coriander.
Curanto en Olla
Chiloé Island's feast: shellfish, meats, potatoes and potato pancakes steamed together under leaves — here in a big pot.
Completo Italiano
Chile's giant hot dog topped with chopped tomato, mashed avocado and mayonnaise — in the colours of the Italian flag.
Sopaipillas
Fried pumpkin-dough discs, eaten savoury with pebre or sweet soaked in chancaca syrup on rainy days.
Charquicán
A mashed stew of squash, potato, corn and minced beef, topped with a fried egg — of Andean origin.
Porotos Granados
A summer stew of fresh shelling beans, squash and grated corn with basil.
Pebre
A fresh Chilean salsa of tomato, onion, coriander and chili, served with bread and barbecue.
Mote con Huesillo
A popular summer drink of dried peaches stewed in caramel syrup with cooked husked wheat at the bottom of the glass.
Chorrillana
A mountain of fries topped with beef strips, fried onions and eggs — a sharing dish from Valparaíso.
Machas a la Parmesana
Chilean razor clams baked in their shells with cheese, butter and lemon until golden.
Caldillo de Congrio
A conger eel soup with potatoes, tomato and cream, to which poet Pablo Neruda dedicated an ode.
Paila Marina
A coastal soup packed with shellfish and fish, served bubbling in a clay bowl and considered restorative.
Chacarero
A sandwich of thin beef slices with green beans, tomato and chili in a round bun.
Lomo a lo Pobre
Steak with fries, caramelised onions and two fried eggs — despite the name "poor man's style", it's a lavish plate.
Leche Asada
A simple baked custard without caramel, which forms a brown skin on top — Chile's homely dessert.
Kuchen de Murta
A fruit tart left by German settlers in southern Chile, made with wild berries or apple on a shortcrust with custard.
Calzones Rotos
Knotted fried dough sprinkled with icing sugar, eaten with coffee in winter.
Pastel de Jaiba
Crab meat in a creamy sauce with bread and cheese, baked in small clay dishes or the shell.
🇻🇪 Venezuela
Venezuelan cooking is joyful Creole food led by arepas stuffed with everything, combining corn, plantain and black beans with Spanish, African and Italian touches.
Arepa Reina Pepiada
An arepa stuffed with chicken-avocado salad and mayonnaise, named in honour of a Venezuelan Miss World in 1955.
Pabellón Criollo
Venezuela's national dish: shredded beef in sauce, white rice, black beans and fried ripe plantain on one plate.
Hallacas
Corn dough filled with a meat stew, olives, raisins and almonds, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled — the jewel of the Christmas table.
Cachapas
Thick pancakes of sweet fresh corn folded over soft melting queso de mano.
Tequeños
White cheese sticks wrapped in strips of dough and fried — at every Venezuelan party.
Asado Negro
Beef braised in a dark glossy sauce of caramelised panela, served sliced with rice and plantain.
Empanadas Venezolanas
Crisp corn-flour empanadas filled with shredded beef, cheese or beans — a beach breakfast.
Pan de Jamón
The sweet Christmas loaf filled with ham, olives and raisins. For halal use smoked turkey slices.
Quesillo
A Venezuelan flan of condensed milk and eggs whose texture is full of tiny holes like cheese, under caramel.
Golfeados
Sweet rolls with panela, cheese and anise, glazed with syrup and served with soft cheese.
Mandocas
Fried rings of corn flour, ripe plantain, panela and cheese — breakfast in Maracaibo.
Patacón Maracucho
A giant sandwich using flattened fried green plantain instead of bread, stuffed with meat, cheese, salad and sauces.
Cachitos
Soft sweet crescent rolls filled with ham (or turkey for halal) — a Venezuelan bakery breakfast.
Perico
Scrambled eggs with tomato, onion and pepper, stuffed into arepas for breakfast.
Hervido de Gallina
Venezuela's rich chicken soup with corn, cassava, taro and plantain, served on Sundays to gather the family.
Polvorosas
Crumbly biscuits of flour, shortening and sugar that melt in the mouth, served with coffee.
Bienmesabe
Layers of sponge soaked in coconut-yolk cream under meringue and cinnamon — the name means "tastes good to me".
Chicha Venezolana
A creamy cold drink of cooked rice, milk and cinnamon, served with condensed milk — alcohol-free.
Tizana
Chopped tropical fruit in orange juice and grenadine — a refreshing party drink.
Arepa Dominó
An arepa stuffed with black beans and grated white cheese — black and white like domino tiles.