When it comes to Hispanic and Latinx cooking, there are a lot of yummy options. Let’s go through and highlight some popular dishes that you may or may not have heard of before! Today, we will review: What Are Some Traditional Latin Foods? Hola homies! It’s your girl, Bernie, author of Herencia Cookbook, full of authentic SalviMex recipes with a modern twist. In today’s post, I will answer the question: what are some traditional Latin foods? I am a Los Angeles Latina who loves herself a good Hispanic meal every now and then. Read on for my top five favorite traditional Hispanic recipes from all over Latin America. Additionally, read on to enjoy some fun facts about and tips! Ok so I know there’s a lot of popular Latin foods that you may already be familiar with. For instance, you may have heard of tacos, pozole, or tamales. All of these are delicious, authentic, and satisfying. But here are 5 types of traditional Latinx foods that aren’t tacos.
What Are Some Traditional Latinx Foods?
Panes Con Pollo
This Salvadorian dish is juicy and satisfying. It consists of the following: slow-cooked chicken in sauce and spices to create juicy goodness. The chicken is then shredded and put into a pan Frances, also known as a French roll or bolillo. It is sort of like a torta or sandwich. Inside the french roll, you have the juicy chicken along with toppings like watercress, cucumber, and radish. In my family, we grew up eating this on New Year’s Day.
I still remember— the first time my husband met my family was New Year’s Day. Between my parents, nephews, nieces, and my siblings and their spouses, it was 16 of us at that moment in time. (Our family has continued to grow since then). My husband and I, in those days, had been dating for about 3 months. No pressure! Since my husband and mom are both Salvadorian-American, it was exciting to (literally) break bread and eat this special dish together for their first meeting. The whole family-sized him up. Yet, he remained suave; a total gentleman. I think focusing on the delicious panes con pollo helped him keep his cool, to be perfectly honest. I’ll let you be the judge. 😉 If you want to try some great, authentic panes con pollo, check out this restaurant.
Cuban Potato Balls
This popular Cuban dish screams comfort food. I’ve had this food at a few different Cuban restaurants. For instance, I remember I munched on these while watching the finale for the 2014 World Cup. The absolutely best potato balls I’ve ever tasted, however, are from Porto’s! (Let’s be honest though, what isn’t delicious from Porto’s??) If you are in LA and have never really tasted these, then I encourage you to try them! Not in LA? Try and make these yourself at home! Check out this recipe.
Empanadas
Lots of countries make great empanadas. For today’s article, I want to shout out Argentina’s amazing empanadas! If you are trying to get more greens in your diet, you may enjoy a spinach and cheese empanada. I also suggest trying a ham and cheese empanada. It is so gooey and savory! There is also the classic ground beef and vegetable empanada which is super satisfying as well. Whichever empanada you try, I know you will love it. My favorite places to enjoy authentic empanadas Argentinos are at El Gaucho Grill in Downey. FYI, El Gaucho Grill is offering contactless pickup during this unprecedented time. I personally love to stock up on empanadas from there. I freeze them and put them in the oven on days when I am too busy to cook, due to working from home.
Lomo Saltado
As I write about Lomo Saltado, my mouth waters! This meal is basically a Peruvian beef stir fry. It consists of sirloin, steak fries, tomatoes, and red onions. Enjoy it with some spicy green or orange salsa and you are in for a deliciously satisfying meal! Some of the absolute best Lomo Saltado I have ever had was at El Pollo Inka in Gardena. If you are a foodie and want to taste some Lomo Saltado for yourself, I encourage you to try it! Want to take a whack at it and try to make it at home? Check out this recipe.
Ceviche
Have you ever tried Mexican seafood? It is also known as mariscos. One fantastic option is a classic ceviche tostada. Raw fish or shrimp is cured in lime juice. Then, it is seasoned with salt and tossed with diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and minced chili peppers. This can be enjoyed on top of a tostada, or eaten with chips. My favorite place to enjoy a ceviche tostada is at La Barca in Bell Gardens. The food here is so authentic, it will taste like your Abuela is making your meal!
Conclusion:
This list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to answering the question: what are some traditional Latin foods. There are so many other amazing dishes from all over Latin America. What are your favorites? What would you like to see included in the next list? Here, at Herencia Cookbook, we would love to know! So, go ahead and let us know in the comments. Finally, are you interested in learning to make some authentic Latinx foods at home? Then check out our blog and our book for authentic Salvi Mex recipes with a modern (and sometimes healthy) twist. Herencia Cookbook is currently available for sale on Amazon.
