Butifarra is the essential Peruvian sandwich that originally consisted of a crusty white bread (pan frances, michetta or ciabbata) filled with jamón del país (garlic-infused peppery ham), salsa criolla, lettuce, and aji peppers. Over time, some ingredients were added, while others were removed.
Jamón del pais is the key ingredient in this sandwich, made from boiled pork loin, garlic, oil, ají chili, and red peppers. It is believed that butifarra was first sold during bullfights in early Republican Lima. Today, the sandwich is a staple at birthday parties and it is often served as a part of a typical Peruvian breakfast.
MOST ICONIC Butifarra
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This is an extreme version of a steak sandwich – filled with thinly sliced lomo steak, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mayonnaise, chimichurri sauce, ham, cheese, and a fried egg, sandwich de lomo or lomito is a behemoth of a sandwich that is sure to satiate even the hungriest consumers.
However, this delicious sandwich is open to innovation – some might substitute the steak with pork, or put aubergine slices into it, along with any other ingredient that comes to mind. Popular both in Argentina and Uruguay, it can easily be found at numerous street carts dispersed throughout the metropolitan areas of both countries.
MOST ICONIC Sandwich de lomo
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Choripán is the ultimate in Argentine street food, a sandwich consisting of a chorizo sausage and a variety of condiments in a crusty bun. It is usually consumed on the go, since it is mostly sold at street stands throughout Latin America.
The name choripán is derived from two words: chorizo, referring to the sausage, and pan, meaning bread.
MOST ICONIC Choripán
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Sánguche de milanesa is a popular sandwich hailing from Argentina, although it's also popular in Uruguay. The sandwich typically consists of a split baguette or long bread roll that's filled with milanesa, mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions, and shredded lettuce.
Additional ingredients might include mustard, chimichurri, ham, or cheese. This sandwich is especially popular in the province of Tucumán, where it's sold in mostly family-owned sangucherías. In some eateries, sánguche de milanesa is accompanied by mashed potatoes or fries on the side.
MOST ICONIC Sánguche de milanesa
View moreArepa reina pepiada is one of the most famous arepa varieties in Venezuela. This type of arepa is stacked and filled with a combination of avocado, shredded chicken pieces, lime, coriander, mayonnaise, and optional peas. The dish was invented by Heriberto Alvarez, an empanada kiosk owner.
The name is concocted in honor of Susana Duijm, the first Venezuelan representative to win the Miss World crown. In those days, curvy women like Susana were called pepiada, so reina pepiada (curvy queen) is a logical choice for the name of this flavorful arepa variety.
MOST ICONIC Arepa reina pepiada
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Bondipan (or bondiola) is a classic sandwich originating from Argentine. Similar to the more famous choripan, this sandwich is made with bondiola de cerdo, pork shoulder that's roasted or grilled to perfection and served in crusty french bread.
The succulent and salty pork is drizzled with lemon juice and often topped with chimichurri. If desired, a bit of chili sauce can also be added to the sandwich. The sandwich is typically sold as street food, and people usually enjoy it while standing by the bar.
Arepa is a highly versatile cornbread made from ground corn dough or precooked corn flour. It is commonly consumed in Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. In Venezuela, arepa is eaten at any time of the day, throughout the whole country, and across all socio-economic groups.
The golden disks with a crispy, browned crust are commonly stuffed with a variety of ingredients, and the combinations are seemingly infinite, from beans, cheese, and avocado to shredded beef and onions. For a Venezuelan breakfast, arepas are traditionally paired with a cup of strong coffee and hot dipping chocolate.
VARIATIONS OF Arepa
MOST ICONIC Arepa
View moreChivito is a delicious sandwich from Uruguay and the country's national dish. Meaning little goat in Spanish, a legend says that in the 1940s, a chef in a restaurant was asked to prepare roasted goat, but since he didn't have one - he made a sandwich with bits of just about everything he had in the kitchen, and chivito was born.
The sandwich is filled with meat - slices of churrasco (grilled/roasted and thinly sliced beef), ham, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, melted mozzarella, and a topping of fried (or sometimes boiled) eggs. The sandwich buns should be quite large, such as ciabatta rolls.
MOST ICONIC Chivito
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Pan con chicharrón is a traditional Latin American sandwich primarily associated with the culinary heritage of Peru. It is comprised of crispy fried pork belly or pork cracklings placed inside soft bread rolls. The roots of the sandwich can be traced back to the melding of indigenous cooking techniques with Spanish culinary traditions during the colonial period.
The preparation of pan con chicharrón involves boiling pork belly and then frying it until the exterior becomes crispy while the interior remains tender. The bread used is often a soft, white roll similar in consistency to a French or Italian loaf.
MOST ICONIC Pan con chicharrón
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Churrasco Italiano is a mouth-watering Chilean sandwich made with thin slices of grilled steak, mayonnaise, tomatoes, and palta – a local name for avocados - all tucked into fresh bread rolls. But why is this sandwich dubbed Italiano?
It's because each addition represents a color of the Italian flag: palta for green, mayo for white, and tomatoes for red. Consuming this sandwich might prove to be quite sloppy, so serve it with lots of napkins.
MOST ICONIC Churrasco Italiano
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 28 South American Sandwiches and Wraps” list until February 13, 2025, 3,894 ratings were recorded, of which 1,779 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.