Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month With These Must-Try Eats
National Hispanic Heritage Month is in full swing. It’s a time to celebrate the contributions that Hispanics and Hispanic Americans have made to culture and society. Of the many contributions, one thing’s for sure, America’s food scene wouldn’t be the same without their culture.
Argentina
Must-try Dish: Choripán
Hot dog-lovers are sure to go bonkers for Argentina’s choripán sandwich. Popular locally and in surrounding South American countries, the choripán consists of grilled chorizo sausage that’s sliced down the middle, lathered with chimichurri or salsa criolla (onion relish), and served on a roll. It’s one of the country’s most popular street food dishes.
Bolivia
Must-try Dish: Pique macho
French fries play a major role in South American cuisine, and Bolivian pique macho is filled with those and more. Pique macho is a massive undertaking that includes French fries buried beneath chopped beef, hot dog slices, eggs, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and chili peppers. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, know that it’s traditionally topped with classic condiments like ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Then if that isn’t enough, it’s finished with hard-boiled eggs.
Chile
Must-try Dish: Completo
Spanish for “complete” or “total,” the Chilean Completo is Chile’s version of a hot dog. There, you’ll find it on nearly every street corner. It’s larger than the average American hot dog and comes topped with mayo, tomatoes, onions, pickles, sauerkraut, and more.
Colombia
Must-try Dish: Lechona
This traditional Colombian dish is typically prepared for larger gatherings. Lechona is a whole roasted pig that’s filled with onions, peas, potatoes, fresh herbs, and spices. Tender and succulent, it’s roasted for hours before being served to guests — sometimes, a single lechona can feed upwards of 100 people.
Costa Rica
Must-try Dish: Patacones
Popular in Costa Rica and other South American countries as well, Patacones are twice-fried plantains that are flattened and served as an appetizer. They’re simple, only require two ingredients, and are super tasty. It typically comes with pico de gallo or mashed black bean dip.
Cuba
Must-try Dish: Frita Cubano
Cuba has a burger that can give a lot of other burgers a run for their money. The Frita Cubano (or simply frita) is a gift from the culinary gods. It’s a ground beef burger served on a Cuban roll with onions, seasonings, and julienned potatoes (or French fries). Sometimes it’s topped with a spicy tomato sauce, too. Each ingredient of this amazing sandwich was made to satisfy your cravings.
Dominican Republic
Must-try Dish: Mangú (or Los Tres Golpes)
Uniquely Dominican, mangú consists of mashed green plantains that are traditionally served with vinegar-sauteed red onions, fried eggs, fried salami, and queso frito (fried cheese). It’s a breakfast staple that is sometimes enjoyed for dinner as well. Mangú is sweet, savory, tangy, and needs to go on your must-try list immediately.
Ecuador
Must-try Dish: Bolon de verde
Bolon de verde is one of Ecuador’s national dishes. It’s grapefruit-sized, ball-shaped, and filled with pure deliciousness. Inside you’ll typically find meat (usually pork) and cheese. Ecuadorians usually enjoy it for breakfast or as a late brunch snack.
El Salvador
Must-try Dish: Atol de Elote
If you’re into elotes, you will love atol de elote. It’s a popular beverage from El Salvador that even has a song written about it called “Moviendo el atol de elote.” Not your typical drink, it’s made using fresh corn that’s mixed with sugar, water, salt, and sprinkled with cinnamon. Although the ingredients seem simple, it actually takes several hours to prepare properly.
Guatemala
Must-try Dish: Fiambre Salad
Famously enjoyed on Dia de los Santos in Guatemala, fiambre salad is an exhaustive effort that requires preparing more than 100 ingredients. It’s loaded with every protein you can think of, from chicken breast to chorizo, eggs, and more. Then there’s veggies like green beans, celery, carrots, and beets, too. That’s only scratching the surface, though, as there’s literally enough ingredients to satisfy every foodie bone in your body.
Mexico
Must-try Dish: Torta Tecolota
Mexican food is far and wide the most recognizable Latin cuisine in America. Despite that, most Americans have only scratched the surface of what this amazing cuisine has to offer. Torta Tecolota is a popular breakfast go-to in Mexico City that takes chilaquiles to whole new heights. It’s made with refried beans, chilaquiles, cheese, crema, chopped cilantro and diced red onions all served on a toasted bolillo roll.
Nicaragua
Must-try Dish: Chanco con yuca (Pork with cassava)
Cassava is a popular root vegetable found in South American cuisine. Chanco con yuca, or pork with cassava, is a popular Nicaraguan dish that consists of fried pork that’s marinated with spices that give it a unique color and flavor. It’s typically topped with mild cassava and cabbage salad.
Puerto Rico
Must-try Dish: Tripleta
Add this next one to your tastiest sandwiches list. The tripleta is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular sammies and it’s made with three types of mouthwatering meats: grilled steak, lechon, and ham. Those are then loaded on a loaf of bread and topped with French fries, ketchup, mayo, cheese, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions. Tripleta sandwiches are massive enough to feed two people, or one person with an insatiable appetite.
Uruguay
Must-try Dish: Gramajo
This crave-worthy creation is said to have been invented using leftovers. Uruguay’s gramajo is a scramble consisting of French fries, fried onions, peas, diced ham, and eggs. Talk about a hangover cure, the gramajo is hearty, savory, greasy, and delicious. I think that’s more than enough proof that it’s worth adding to your bucket list.
Venezuela
Must-try Dish: Arepa reina pepiada
Arepas are a popular type of food found in South American cuisine that’s similar to pupusas, yet are smaller and thicker. In Venezuela, where arepas are enjoyed daily, one of the most popular types is the arepa reina pepiada. It’s filled with a combo of avocado, shredded chicken pieces, lime, coriander, mayo, and peas. Reina pepiada translates to “curvy queen” in English.
