Attention Adventure Travelers: Would You Eat This?

So you’ve been traipsing around Latin America and you’ve had cuy and plenty of ants and grasshoppers. You could eat anything…. right? See below for a few dishes that are common in Latin America but sure to give you pause stateside. How many would you be willing to try?

Llama Jerky or Ch’arki, Bolivia

Llama is widely used in Bolivia (in all ways: clothing, transportation, even in rituals) and you’ll often find llama on a menu in all its forms. We suggest skipping the brain and tongue and trying out llama jerky.  Back in the day, the Inca empire would supply inns along the Inca road system with ch’arki so that travelers could eat on their journey. They made their jerky though a freeze-drying process using the cold dry mountain air and the strong sun. Now you can get it commercially.

Cow Udder or Ubre, Chile

In Chile, like in most parts of Latin America, no part of the animal goes to waste. In some parts of the country you’ll find ubre asada, a specialty dish in which cow udder is cleaned and soaked (to remove any milk) then grilled. Apparently, the texture is spongy but grilling it gives it a delicious char (along the lines of grilled octopus). [pagebreak]

Bull Penis Soup or Caldo de Cardan, Bolivia

We know, just the name is enough to give us all pause. But hear us out. Caldo de cardan can be found in a few different countries in Latin America and throughout the Caribbean and is thought to be healing, helping with fatigue, anemia, and hangovers (and sometimes used as an aphrodisiac). We hear the broth is flavorful and the dish is hearty. But you do have to stare down a bowl of bull penis.

Buchada, Brazil

So this dish reminds us of blood sausage… on steroids. The dish is somewhat related to haggis (found in Scotland and made from sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs) and is found in the semi-arid northeaster part of Brazil. This dish uses goat stomach, which is cleaned, then stuffed with whatever other innards are available (intestines, liver, lungs, heart) then sown up and cooked.

Sopa de Mondogo, Colombia

This dish spans borders: menudo, mocoto, sopa de pata. Whatever you call it, it’s tripe soup. The stomach of a cow or pig is slow cooked with spices, fresh vegetables, and root vegetables, yielding a thick and hearty soup. The dish is generally found in former Spanish colonies (though why is unclear) and varies slightly from region to region. It’s said to cure hangovers and sometimes made to celebrate construction (as in building a new home).