Latin America and the Caribbean

 Columbus opened the door from Old World Europe to New world America in  Spain, Portugal, France and Great Britain would influence foods and food culture for the next 300 years.

 Three native cultures dominated the early history of Latin America  Aztecs in Mexico  Mayas in Central America  Incas of South America

 Corn, beans, chiles, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, & cassava (starchy root vegetable).

 Spanish & Portuguese  Wheat & Hogs  Spanish  Rice, goats, sheep and chickens  French  Herbs (thyme and chives), culinary system  English  Coffee shrubs

 Chiles, both red and green, are the basis for a staple of salsa (or sauce).  Most recipes are chunky mixtures with added tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices.  Adobo is a spicy vinegar salsa used as a rub or serving sauce for meats  Escabeche, originally a Spanish pickling sauce, is a marinade for cooked fish, chicken and vegetables.  Achiote sauce is made of ground chiles onions and herbs.

 Diet based on corn, rice and beans may appear as any part of la comida (the meal).  Pollo con arroz - rice is paired with chicken.  Empanada - a turnover filled with meat, vegetables, fruit, or all three. Sometimes filled with leftovers!!!!!  Chorizo – a spicy sausage  Ceviche – an appetizer of raw fish marinated in citrus juice until firm and opaque. Served with chiles, tomatoes and onions.  Sopas – soups featuring meat as the main ingredient; peanuts and squash are also used.

 Agriculture  Grow corn, beans, wheat and rice for food at home.  Main exports  coffee, vegetables, fruit and livestock.

 Corn  60 varieties of corn grown  Masa – corn is dried, cooked soaked in limewater and then ground into this dough.  Masa harina – course-ground corn flour  Tortillas – a popular flatbread, made from masa  Avocados  Squash  Chocolate  Came from trade with Maya

 Tortillas filled with any combination of meat, poultry, beans, fish and cheese are a staple  Tacos – tortillas are folded over and eaten by hand  Quesadillas – tortillas are folded around cheese and grilled.  Enchiladas – tortillas dipped in chile sauce before they are filled and baked  Tamales – uncooked masa is spread on corn husks and rolled

 Frijoles – BEANS – are in main dishes as tortilla fillings or beans and rice.  Frijoles refritos – side dish of red or pinto beans, mashed and fried in lard  Cocido – bean stew often made with pork and vegetables  Posole – main course soup of pork or chicken and dried corn  Menudo – combines tripe (lining of a cow’s stomach), hominy, chiles  Sopas de papas – potato soup with melted cheese

 Salsas are an everyday condiment.  In Guadalajara, a salsa is made with chipotle chiles (smoked jalapenos) and tomatillos (Mexican green tomatoes).  Mole - this sauce blends dozens of chiles  Chiles, pumpkin or sesame seeds, onions, unsweetened chocolate and spices.  Mole poblano – best known version accompanies turkey

 Seafood – Gulf of Mexico region  Mofongo-  Shrimp is prepared with pureed plantains (starchy banana), onion, tomato and salsa.  Yucatan peninsula, shrimp is served chiles en escabeche or grilled in an achiote paste

 Rural living is common  Common foods  Allspice  Native berry flavors many sweet and savory dishes  Chicken is widely eaten (flavored with pineapple, tomatoes or raisins)  Chayotes  Native Squash like fruit (often stuffed with cheese)

 Guatemala  Pollo Pepian  Chicken in a spicy sauce made with sesame and pumpkin seeds  El Salvador  Pupusa  A corn cake filled with refried beans, cheese and pork served with cabbage, onion and carrot slaw

 Nicaragua  Nacatamal  Cabbage, plantain and pork steamed in a banana leaf  Costa Rica  Gallo pinto  Fried beans and rice  Arroz con tuna  Rice with tuna  Panama  Breakfast tortilla  Corn pastry, deep fried, topped with egg and cheese

 Thirteen countries make up South America  Three times the size of the United States  Regions  Brazil  Argentina  Andean Countries

 Main influence 1500’s when Portuguese colonists and African slaves worked sugar plantations  Feijoada completa  National dish –  Black beans and various meats simmered together  Meats –beef, chorizo, pigs feet and other pork  Side dishes of orange slices and rice round out meal

 Dende oil  Bright orange palm oil used to sauté greens  Farofa  Crumbly mixture of sautéed cassava meal and nuts and raisins  Moqueca  Seafood from swordfish and shrimp, the base is coconut milk and tomatoes  Guarana  Soft drink made of guarana fruit

 Influence of more Western and Eastern Europeans  Yerba mate  Tea brewed from holly leaves  Beef is a main industry  Chimichurri  Sauce of vinegar, olive oil in garlic, parsley, onion and oregano – used on beef  Carbonada criolla  Mixed stew with meats, fruits and veggies

 Columbia, Equador, Peru and Chile  Mountains, seacoast and rainforest  Andean foothills  Birthplace of Potatoes  Pacific Ocean  Seabass to sea urchin  Grazing land limited, meat comes from easily kept animals  Chicken, llama and guinea pigs

 Arepa  Small griddle cake made with cracked corn  Aji  Local chile and a hot sauce made from it  Charqui  Llama jerky - meat salted and dried  Ajiaca  Columbian soup of chicken, potatoes and corn  Anticucho  Peruvian cubes of beef heart skewered and marinated

 Caribs and Arawaks are the earliest know inhabitants  They taught European colonists two skills  Barbeque and season with chiles  Seafood and Conch  Chicken, pork and goat  Rice and legumes  Black & red beans, black eyed peas and pigeon peas  Mangoes, figs, pomegranates & coconuts

 Jamaica shows African elements in food  National dish is Ackee (tropical fruit) and Saltfish (dried cod) – both are West African imports  Jerk  Blend of chiles, onions, garlic, allspice and other herbs and spices  Griot  Cubes of meat marinate in citrus juice, salt, pepper and thyme (French influence)  Sofrito  Saute of onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil (Spanish influence