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What do you think of when you hear "Latin American food?" In beginning to focus from "healthy global" to "healthy Latin American" I have done a bit of research, and today bring you 31 Latin American Recipes... a sampling of both traditional and modern interpretations of classics from Central and South America and the Caribbean.

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👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks - About Latin Food
When you hear "Latin food," what comes to mind? I think of chiles, warm spices, vibrant flavors, corn, beans, squash, and so much more. Latin America includes the countries of Central and South America, and parts of the Caribbean. The terrain is as diverse as the Amazon jungle, the Peruvian Andes, the Bolivian desert, and the frozen tundra of Argentina.
You'll find Native American, Spanish (and other European countries), Asian, and African influences in Latin American food. Each cuisine has its own emphasis on spices like cumin, thyme, oregano, achiote, allspice, etc.
The chiles/peppers vary from region to region... Peru has its ají amarillo, ají panco, and rocoto while Mexico has a wide variety of fresh and dried chiles like jalapeño, serrano, poblano, ancho, and guajillo. The Caribbean is known for its use of Scotch bonnet peppers.
Fresh herbs used in Latin American cooking include (but are not limited to) cilantro, fresh thyme, mint, huacatay, fresh oregano, and more...
The 25 Latin American Recipes I've curated for this post qualify as "healthy-ish." 😆 Some of them should not be eaten every day, okay? All things in moderation!
I hope you'll find one or two (or more 🙂 ) you can't wait to try. I would love to hear your thoughts on narrowing my "niche" from global to Latin American too!
🍗 Latin Style Chicken Recipes
🐟 Latin Style Fish and Seafood Recipes
🥩 Latin American Beef Options
🥗 Latin American Vegetarian Side Dishes
🧁 Latin American Drink Recipes (With and Without Alcohol)
🧁 Latin American Dessert Recipes
My emphasis on Beyond Mere Sustenance the last 2 to 3 years has been on Latin-inspired recipes. I have a Mexican category and a Peruvian category if you want to dig deeper into these flavorful cuisines!
Jane says
What a fabulous collection - so many recipes I want to try! Thanks for including my arepas.
Tamara says
The pleasure is mine! I hope to try them soon Jane!
Karen says
What an amazing collection of delicious sounding Latin American recipes! Thanks for including my stew!
Tamara says
My pleasure Karen! I can't wait to try it!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
Love all the flavors of Latin America! (Who doesn't!?) Everything looks delicious. Thank you for including me in this terrific round-up of traditional dishes.
Tamara says
You're very welcome Cynthia! Your Papas Rellenas look fabulous!