Bolivia's Food Scene: What To Avoid As A Tourist

Bolivia is the most indigenous country in South America, and its cuisine is very varied. However, there are some traditional dishes that may not appeal to the average traveller's palate. For example, tripe (tripa) is a popular street food in the Andes, consisting of cow stomach lining covered in spicy peanut sauce. Aji de Lengua is another traditional dish, made with cow tongue and accompanied by rice, salad and freeze-dried potato. For the more adventurous foodies, there's Caldo de Caldón, a hangover remedy consisting of a boiled bull penis served in a frothy soup, or Rostro Asado, a barbecued sheep's head served in Oruro during the carnaval.

Fried guinea pig

Guinea pig, or "cuy" as it is known in Bolivia, is a traditional dish in the country, and an offer of the dish is considered the highest privilege. It is usually served whole on special occasions, such as Carnaval, Easter, and Christmas. The guinea pig is cleaned and coated in a mixture of spices and cornmeal before being deep-fried to a golden colour. The dish is often served with potatoes or sweet potatoes, and a sauce such as salsa huacatay.

History

Guinea pigs have been a source of nutritious food for the Inca people for centuries, and the tradition of eating them dates back to ancient times. In Bolivia, guinea pigs are considered a delicacy and were historically seen as "the meat for the noble". Even today, the number of guinea pigs a family owns is a symbol of social status and wealth.

Taste and Texture

The taste of guinea pig has been compared to chicken, with a deeper, "fattier" flavour. The meat is low in fat, but high in protein, making it a healthy option. It is described as having a darker colour and a faint "gamey" flavour. The texture of the meat is moist and tender, and the skin is extra crispy when deep-fried.

Preparation

Preparing cuy involves first removing the hair and intestines from the animal and cleaning it thoroughly. The carcass is then dipped in water laced with lime juice and left to dry for a couple of hours. A mixture of salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic is rubbed onto the dry skin of the raw animal. The guinea pig is then coated in cornmeal flour and deep-fried in hot oil until the carcass is golden.

Cultural Significance

In Bolivia, guinea pigs are not just a source of food but also hold cultural and medicinal significance. The number of guinea pigs a family owns is a symbol of authority in the community. Additionally, guinea pigs are believed to carry positive energy when eaten, and they are used in healing rituals by local herbal doctors.

Boiled bull penis

Caldo de cardán, or bull penis soup, is a traditional dish in Bolivia, particularly in the city of El Alto and the slums of La Paz. It is considered a delicacy and is believed to be a cure for a hangover, as well as a remedy for sexual impotency, anaemia, and back pain. The dish is typically served on weekends, from 6 am to noon, and costs around $2 per serving.

The preparation of caldo de cardán involves slicing the bull penis thinly and cooking it for an extended period over a low flame. The soup also includes other ingredients such as beef, chicken, lamb, boiled egg, rice, and potatoes. The long cooking time infuses the broth with the strength of the bull, according to locals, and the resulting dish is believed to boost energy and increase sexual potency.

The name "caldo de cardán" comes from the local slang term "cardan," which refers to the similarity between the shape of a bull's penis and a car's drive shaft. The dish is considered affordable and delicious, and its consumption is not limited to men, as women also consume it for its perceived health benefits.

While the idea of consuming boiled bull penis may be off-putting to some, it is a cultural delicacy in Bolivia and is believed to have medicinal properties. The dish is also known outside of Bolivia, with similar versions of the soup found in Jamaica and Malaysia.

In summary, boiled bull penis, or "caldo de cardán," is a traditional dish in Bolivia that is believed to have various health benefits. It is prepared by slicing the penis thinly and cooking it in a soup with other ingredients. While it may not be appealing to everyone, it is a delicacy in Bolivian culture and is consumed for its perceived medicinal properties.

Frog smoothies

Preparation of the frog for the smoothie involves skinning and removing the head, before placing the remainder of the amphibian into a blender. Some recipes call for additional ingredients, such as vegetables, sugar, white bean broth, honey, and maca. The resulting colour of the smoothie is a pale green, and it is often referred to as 'Frog Juice'.

Due to the harvesting of the endangered Titicaca Water Frog for this beverage, both Peru and Bolivia have made the production and sale of 'Frog Juice' illegal. Additionally, concerns have been raised about pollution levels in Lake Titicaca, which further endanger the frog population.

Monkey brains

Initial confusion over the Chinese term for the monkey-head mushroom, or "hou tou gu," may have contributed to the belief that monkey brains were used in Asian cuisine. This mushroom got its name due to its resemblance to the fur of certain Asian primates like macaques.

There are some accounts of people consuming monkey brains, such as travel writer Leila Hadley's description of a meal in a restaurant in Macao near Hong Kong, where monkey brains were served in a freshly killed monkey's skull. However, there is doubt about the veracity of these claims, and serving monkey brains is now illegal in China, with harsh punishments for violators.

In Bolivia, a landlocked country in South America, villagers in the remote Beni Department are said to offer monkey brains to guests as a special meal. It is not clear if they follow the practice of consuming the brains straight from the skull, as allegedly done in some Asian countries.

Consuming the brains and nervous system tissues of certain animals can be hazardous to human health, potentially causing transmissible encephalopathies such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Therefore, visitors to Bolivia should avoid partaking in this cultural practice, even if offered as a gesture of hospitality.

Whole sheep's head

If you're travelling to Bolivia, you might want to try some of the country's excellent street food. However, as the most indigenous country in South America, Bolivia also has some pretty unusual dishes. One of these is a whole sheep's head, known as Rostro Asado, which is often eaten as a hangover cure.

Rostro Asado is a specialty of the carnaval in Oruro. The dish is prepared by blowtorching a whole sheep's head, wool and all, until the meat is tender. The diner then shaves off bits of the cheeks, eyes and nose to eat. The head is typically cooked with the skin on, so the wool needs to be burnt off before the meat can be eaten. In some other cultures, the brain is considered a delicacy and is cooked inside the skull before being eaten with a spoon or fried. However, this doesn't seem to be the case with Rostro Asado, where the brain is removed before cooking.

Sheep's head is also eaten in Norway, where it is known as smalahove. This dish is prepared in a similar way to Rostro Asado, with the skin and fleece of the head torched, the brain removed, and the head salted, sometimes smoked, and dried. The head is then boiled or steamed for about three hours and served with mashed swede, potatoes, and the traditional spirit akevitt.

In Bolivia, the whole sheep's head is often served as a stew called patasca, which is made with hominy, onions, tomatoes, dried chilli peppers, spearmint, and other spices. If you're able to get past the idea of eating an animal's head, this is a very popular dish in Eastern Bolivia. However, if the idea of skinning a sheep's head makes you queasy, you can make patasca with simple cuts of beef, lamb, or pork instead of the whole head.

While eating a whole sheep's head might not be to everyone's taste, it's certainly a unique culinary experience that you can only get in a few places around the world. So, if you're feeling adventurous, why not give it a try?

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