TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Paraguayan Foods
Vori-vori (bori-bori) is a hearty Paraguayan soup filled with meat (usually beef or chicken), fluffy dumplings consisting of cornmeal and cheese, and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions. The soup is traditionally flavored with bay leaves, cloves, and parsley, while saffron gives it a rich golden color.
Vori-vori is especially popular during the cold winter months, although it is sometimes also consumed during the summer. It is recommended to serve vori-vori warm, sprinkled with parsley and accompanied by grated parmesan cheese on the side. The soup is very rich in nutrients, and there are many varieties such as the one with the addition of grilled chicken pieces.
MOST ICONIC Vori-vori
Pastel mandi’o is a doughy snack made with cornflour, boiled cassava, fat, and eggs. It is stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, boiled eggs, and seasonings. These snacks are fried in oil or fat and served hot. The dough is sweet, and the filling is replete with flavors, giving the dish a distinctive taste. Mandi’o means cassava in the Guarani language, and it is this ingredient which gives a unique Guarani twist to the dish.
These snacks resemble empanadas, mainly differing from the latter in the use of cornflour and cassava, which are typical for Paraguay. They encompass the authentic taste of Paraguayan cuisine and are a popular street food served in local bars, particularly during the festival of San Juan.
Mbeju is a traditional, starchy Paraguayan flatbread made with either manioc or farina flour. As a result, it is highly nutritious and looks like a pancake with a crumbly texture. Besides flour, mbeju consists of salt, water, oil, and, optionally, crumbled cheese.
This starchy treat is usually consumed for breakfast, although some consume it as a quick and easy dinner.
MOST ICONIC Mbeju
Chipa guasu is a variety of chipa, a cake based on corn grains with the addition of onions, water, eggs, cinnamon, milk, and cheese. Its name stems from two words - chipa, referring to a variety of corn-based cakes, and guasu, which means big in Guarani, so one can say that chipa guasu is the largest of all chipas.
It is a favorite side dish in Paraguay during the corn harvest, when cooks brown them in hornos, traditional mud adobe-built outdoor ovens. The dish was invented during the Paraguayan War in the mid-1850s, when food was scarce, and people needed food that was affordable, simple, and highly caloric, providing nourishment during the day.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Chipa
MOST ICONIC Chipa guasu
Soyo is a thick and hearty Paraguayan soup filled with ground beef, rice, and vegetables such as onions, green peppers, and tomatoes. The soup is commonly seasoned with salt, garlic, parsley, and oregano. The name of the dish is a shorter version of the Guarani phrase so'o josopy, meaning crushed meat.
Although soyo used to be a poor man's meal in the past, today it is enjoyed by every social stratum in Paraguay.
Sopa paraguaya is a typical example of a misnomer (a word with a misleading meaning) - although sopa translates to soup, this traditional Paraguayan dish does not even resemble it. In fact, it is a type of thick cornbread flavored with cheese and onions.
There are numerous stories connected to the origin of the dish and many explanations for the unusual name. The most common version claims that the dish was an accidental invention of a personal chef who cooked for the Paraguayan president Don Carlos Antonio López.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Dulce de batata is a jelly-like dessert prepared with a base of mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla flavoring, and a thickening agent. When cooked, dulce is left to set and should always be well-chilled. It is usually enjoyed as a dessert, which is traditionally served with cheese to create a Latin American favorite known as vigilante or Martín Fierro.
Although the origin of dulce de batata is often disputed, it is enjoyed throughout Latin America.
Dulce de mamón is a flavorful, syrupy-sweet Paraguayan dessert made by boiling papaya in water and sugar. The combination is simmered for at least two hours on low heat until the fruit develops a soft texture. It is recommended to add cloves, orange juice, or lemon zest to the dessert in order to improve the flavors even further.
MOST ICONIC Dulce de mamón
MAIN INGREDIENTS
The most famous vegetarian dish in Paraguay is undoubtedly kivevé. This traditional dish is made with the most popular ingredients in Paraguay: pumpkin, cornmeal, and fresh cheese. It has an unusual light red color and a creamy texture, similar to polenta.
The dish is not classified as sweet or savory, but rather lies somewhere in between. Usually, it is served as a side dish, especially when complementing traditional Paraguayan barbecues, but due to its slightly sweet flavor, it can be modified and served as a dessert.
Queso Paraguay or Paraguayan cheese is a staple of traditional Paraguayan cuisine, used in a number of dishes such as cheese chipa. It is made from cow's milk, has a soft consistency, and its flavor is slightly acidic.
The cheese is somewhat bland on its own, but it is great for desserts, so people tend to consume fresh queso Paraguay with molasses or guava jam.
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Best Paraguayan Food Producers
AWARDS
World Gin Awards - Country Winner
2022
BEST Legado Organic Distillery S.A. Spirits
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Best Paraguayan Food Products
AWARDS
World Gin Awards - Country Winner
2022
AWARDS
World Gin Awards - Country Winner
2022
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