Discovering The Wonders Of Latin American Cuisine

The cuisine of Latin America comes from several cultures and cooking styles. There are local favorites that vary from country to country. However, there are also international favorites and the omnipresent fast food outlets. Surely, if you are traveling in Latin America, you will never go hungry! rnBelow, you can find some of the cuisines that are the specialties of the Latin American culture.rnChile and Argentina winesrnLatin America is becoming the richest wine region in the world. The wine industry of South America – especially Chile and Argentina - is booming. Argentina’s Malbec has gained a spot as one of the most sought-after wines of the past five years. Whereas Chile has become one of the world’s biggest wine exporters. Seeing the success of these two countries, other South American nations are also exploring this turf. The resultant is a continent beginning to get famous for more than just awesome landscapes.rnThe amazing success of Chile and Argentina hinges on regional factors. The 'Wine Belt' of South America is proving to be the best world’s best growing environments that is why the countries on this belt are producing world-class wines that have unique flavors. Visitors from all over the world are coming here for vacationing and winery tours.rnQuality has never been the focus of South American countries but as far as wine is concerned, it has become their trademark in world wine market. South American wines have an iron hold on world’s wine markets since their prices are reasonable combined with excellent quality.rnThe value coming out of Argentina and Chile is proving worthy of the impression it is making on the industry. rnMexico: Yucatecan (Maya) Food, Origins, Ingredients And Some Dishes It may be astonishing to know that the ancient Mayans have had a profound impact on the eating habits of the modern world. If you happen to go to Mexico, you will find out that quite a few of the food ingredients being used around the world have Mexican origins. Take, for example, chocolates. Mayans were the first to cultivate the fermented seeds of cacao tree around three thousand years ago. In those times, it was bitter and spicy since sugar had not yet been invented. Mayans believed that the chocolate came from gods. You can still find chocolate flavored with pepper or paprika in Mexico. Chiles was cultivated more than seven thousand years ago and still adorns almost every fiery dish around the globe. Tomatoes came from Mexico’s Yucatan State. Originally, they were thought to be poisonous. However, nowadays they are part of almost every cuisine in the world. Vanilla was first cultivated in Veracruz State. Later, it became famous as Mayan’s chocolate drink. It was introduced to Africa and Asia by Spanish and Dutch exporters. Corn/Maize, Avocados, papaya, sweet potato and Black Beans also have their origin in Mexico. BBQ in Argentina, connection with gauchos, chimichurri, mate (yerba mate) Argentine cuisine has very strong resemblance to French, Spanish and Italian cuisines. It is also one of the world's biggest food producers since it produces beef, corn, milk, wheat and beans. Beef is also a common ingredient of Argentinean food. Certain foods are common in every part of the country, which include barbecued meat, Asado, empanadas and dulce de leche, however, Argentinean food can be roughly classified as under: Andean cuisine came into being in the ancient Andes culture. This cuisine of the Andes dates back around 10,000 BC and includes a great variety of plants and animals. The most important staples were various tubers, roots, and grains. The most commonly used meat is guinea pig, dried fish and llamas and dried fish was common. Argentinean food contains higher levels of protein. Barbequed grilled meat is a common staple especially steak and ribs. Goat and lamb are also eaten in Patabgonia. Barbeques is mostly accompanied by a sauce Chimichirri made from garlic, vinegar and herbs. In some cases, it also includes chili. Yerba maté or Paraguay tea is an herbal drink supposed to have numerous medicinal properties. It is made from the leaves of the tree after drying, roasting and crushing them into a fine powder. For more travel tips visit Latin America tours