10 Most Irresistible Foods in Latin America!

By traveldecorum | USA Holiday

One of the most exciting things about travelling is to try out new delicacies. We keep reading about great food specialties of South America. What makes them more special is, if you get to taste the food while you are on the exploration of that part. No matter whether you like hefty chunks of vegetables and chicken broth, you will find all of them here.

When it comes to street food, we have high hopes because it is one of its kind delicacies. Eating street food in Latin America is safe unlike other places. It is delectable not only for the delicious flavours but because of the experience that you have along the way.

If you are a fan of street food, here are top 10 best food platters that you should try while travelling around Latin America.

Carne Y Potato Kebab – A Warm and Meaty Fare in Peru

As dark starts approaching on the streets of Peru, you will come across native women standing in a plume of smoke blazing chunks of meat on an Andean hotplate. The meat is actually an Andean delicacy which is called as anticucho. The best part about this delicacy is that you can get it for 4 soles ($1.59) only, which is nothing but the best value for money meal in South America. It is served on a kebab skewer and you get to taste four chunks of cow’s heart and intestines along with a baked potato on the top. It takes two people to fill you but once you had one, you can get second one simply for the taste.

Pastel – A Crispy Treat at Brazils

How about having a great meal for R$2 ($1.09USD) and that too, in Brazil. This amazing dish, Pastel is too delectable that you cannot resist it. When it comes to eating out in the biggest country of Latin America, it is more expensive than you would ever imagine. However, in the South, you can actually get portions which justify the cost. It is a street food that you can have in budget. There are lot of others too but the best is indeed, pastel. It is a thin crispy pastry which is beautifully stuffed with a combo of fillings. The popular flavours include melted cheese and meat with a boiled egg and the shrimp.

Chorizo – A Barbecue Griddle in Argentina

Argentina is a meat loving place and you can barely catch a fish in sight here. When it comes to meat snacks like the Chorizo, the King of Sausages which is Argentinean favorite. The thick pork sausages are a matter of national pride here. The Argentineans boast of their prized asset to all the travelers. Grilled on a parilla, the Chorizo smell delicious and taste great. You can get drawn to the lip-smacking smell of barbecued pig flesh. Depending on the city, you can get it for around $1.50 pesos ($0.35USD). You will not regret being hooked on the most loved street food of Argentina.

Tapioca Omelette – Savory Mixtures Pancakes of Brazil

Another most popular food here is Tapioca in Brazil. It is a light, crispy pancake that comes with a filling of your preferred flavours, either sweet or savoury. This starch snack is prepared from tapioca roots and filled with different flavours. Cheese and ham are among the most preferred ingredients of Brazilians which you can get from any vendor here. If you love seafood, you can give shrimp a try. Soaked in a tasty seafood sauce, it is worth to try while you are travelling to South America. If you love sweet flavour, the coconut and leite condensado or condensed milk is good to go for.

Platanos Fritos – A Hearty Dollop of Crema at El Salvador

Platanos Fritos are most commonly found in Latin American countries. It is a kind of favorite street dessert which has gone far and wide. However, the El Salvadorians take this delicacy to completely another level. This mouth-watering dessert is slowly-fried bananas along with a light coating of caramel. It is further scooped from fiery pots of vegetable oil and tastefully topped with condensed milk. In few countries, you will find them a little crunchy, but in El Salvador, you will find its soft texture that melts in your mouth and cracks with flavour. It´s a popular breakfast dish here but street food lovers can eat it at any time of the day. You can find them anywhere among the street vendors who are selling fast foods.

Tacos – The Best Mexican Street Food

If you have heard of them previously, you should not get confused with Tacos in Mexico because these are not just the mincemeat filled pancakes that are served in Western countries. Firstly, they are available in two types and come with a wide range of fillings. Small tortilla breads that are made from wheat are the most common type of tacos that can be found anywhere. If you prefer, you can also wrap it into an oblong shape and that too, around the filling of your preference like beef, chicken, cheese or vegetables.

Super taco’s is another popular kind of taco here which is a sandwich style belly-buster, kind of small birthday cake. These are available with a wide sort of filling choices and then they are packed full. You can find the traditional tacos individually at around 13 pesos ($1.03) though you may need two or three to fill up your stomach. The super tortillas come with four fillings and appears like a brick wrapped in paper. In a cost between 30 and 36 pesos ($2.40-2.85), you can satisfy the appetite.

Buñuelos – Syrup-doused Sweet Treats of Guatemala

Guatemalan’s are known as sweet-toothed people which is why you will come across so many of them with gold braces linked to their teeth. It is considered as a sign of wealth especially in the Mayan culture. Buñuelos, is one of their favourite street desserts. These are fried balls of dough which is similar to the Chinese chicken balls with a sweet and sour flavour. These delicacies are served hot, dowsed in syrup which makes them more delicious. They gain more popularity around Christmas, but if you really want them, you need to look hard enough to find them at any time of year. They will cost you around Q10 (US$1.25) for three balls which comes as a reasonable price despite of any specific currency.

Tlayudas Con Carne – A Flavourful Mexican Pizza

If you happen to walk into a Mexican food market, you are sure to be spoiled for choice. Even a local café exploration will appeal you with delectable flavours. You may find people making a beeline for the delicious tacos filled with cooked meat. Tlayudas con carne is the most happening food here in Mexico. It was introduced in Oaxaca in the Southern Sierra Mountains.

Tlayudas are commonly found in a handful of cities. These are served on a thin, large and crispy tortilla with a combo of cooked meat, chicken or cheese together with salad as well as avocado. It is again topped with a light mayonnaise-form dressing. If you are fond of spicy flavours, you could easily add the spicy condiments. But here is one thing that you should consider while doing so, it may lose the natural flaovur which as a result, may kill your taste buds for a week. So, if you follow a general rule, do not add the condiments the Mexicans offer you in little pots because they are very spicy and the only thing you get to taste.

Arepas – Delicious Cornmeal Pockets Venezuela

The one place in Latin America where you find people crazy for street foods is Venezuela. Here people huddle around food carts while munching on quick snack on the go. Arepa comes as a tasty snack here which is the most popular among locals. It can be filled with your choicest number of fillings like grilled meat, scrambled eggs, ham and cheese, chicken salad with avocados or simply plain old vegetables.

You can come across as many as 30 options on few menus. The dough used to prepare areaps is ground from mazie. Then, it is patted into a flat loaf which is baked as well as lightly grilled. It is torn open and beautifully stuffed with delectable fillings like a pita bread kebab in Europe. If you grab one from the street, you will find them between 15 and 17 VEF (around US$3.50). for the specialty arepa houses you have to pay about US$7.

Baleada – A Full-on Meal at Honduras!

Native to Honduras and a popular street food you may find is Baleada. This white flour pancake-sized tortilla is wonderfully stuffed with re-fried beans, sour cream and cream cheese. However, you will find more fillings with few vendors and most of them use scrambled egg which is typical for breakfast. However, if you consider price, at 7LPS (US$ .035) baleada comes as an inexpensive snack. The best part is; you can enjoy it with your best buddy because it is enough for two.