A Taste of Bolivia

Dr. Alvaro Encinas enjoys a second helping of silpancho.

Written by Betsy Station

After a day of hard work in the hospital, one of the great pleasures—and privileges—of a mission trip is breaking bread with our Bolivian partners. More than bread, of course, a typical meal may involve breaking open a delicious salteña (meat pie) or savoring one of the country’s infinite varieties of potato.  

Dr. Alvaro Encinas, missioner and Solidarity Bridge board member, says Bolivian food “has the taste of my childhood.” Growing up in Chicago, Encinas, the son of Bolivian immigrants, remembers his maternal grandmother cooking classic dishes like sopa de maní (peanut soup) every Friday afternoon.

The cuisine of his boyhood still has a powerful pull. “Every time I go on mission, I eat too much,” says Encinas, a family medicine practitioner and president of the Bolivian American Medical Society. “One simple dish can have so many varieties and ways to prepare it.”

Enjoy this slideshow for a virtual taste of Bolivia, featuring favorites from the Cochabamba region.

Salteñas—savory meat pies filled with meat or chicken—are a light meal or snack. “A true Bolivian will be able to eat it without leaving any liquid on the plate,” using a spoon to catch the delicate broth, says Encinas.

Sopa de maní (peanut soup), a nourishing broth made from ground peanuts, has a garnish of fried matchstick potatoes.

Pique a lo macho is a huge, hearty mash-up of steak, fried potatoes, sliced hot dogs, veggies, and eggs. “Some people can finish it all; most people can’t,” says Encinas. “That’s why they have these mini or baby piques.”

Potatoes, a staple of Bolivian cuisine, originated in the Andes. Hundreds of varieties are cultivated or grow wild in the region.

Trucha (trout), freshwater fish from Lake Titicaca, “is delicious and a big deal,” says Encinas. “Bolivia is a landlocked country so seafood is not something you find on every corner.”

With a name from the Quechua language, silpancho is a traditional dish featuring rice, breaded meat, and a fried egg.

Popular Bolivian beers include Huari, Taquiña, and Paceña—all lagers.

Choclo (corn on the cob) with cheese.

Uchuku—a regional stew featuring chuño (dehydrated potato), chicken, and spicy broth—served in the hospital cafeteria in Mizque during the 2018 Multi-Specialty Mission Trip.

Bolivia’s finest wines, mostly red, are grown at high altitudes in Tarija province.