"Latin American food" is a phrase that papers over fifty different food cultures, from the chilli-and-corn traditions of Mexico to the beef-and-chimichurri of Argentina, from the coconut-and-seafood Bahia of Brazil to the potato-and-aji of the Andes. If you are new to it, the variety can feel overwhelming. Here is a way in.
Start with Mexico
If you have only cooked one Latin American cuisine, Mexico is the safest place to begin. Tacos, salsa, pinto beans, slow-cooked pork — the ingredients are accessible and the rewards are immediate.
Then try Peru
Peruvian cooking is one of the most underrated in the world. Lomo saltado, aji de gallina, ceviche, anticuchos — the flavours are sharp, complex and unlike anything else.
Argentina is for meat lovers
If you cook beef, you owe yourself an asado-style steak with chimichurri. Empanadas, milanesa, dulce de leche desserts — Argentinian cooking is wonderfully unfussy.
Brazil is two countries at once
The south is meat and beans. The north-east is coconut milk, palm oil and seafood. Try moqueca and feijoada for the two extremes.
Colombia and Venezuela are arepa countries
Both share a love of corn cakes stuffed or topped with everything imaginable. Pabellón criollo and bandeja paisa are both extraordinary.
Three ingredients to buy
Aji amarillo paste, masarepa (precooked cornmeal), and good tinned beans. With these and pantry staples, the door opens to dozens of dishes.
Cook one Latin American dish a week for two months and you will end up with a whole new way of eating that has very little to do with what tends to be sold as "Mexican night" in supermarkets.
