Paraguay, a landlocked nation in South America, has a
relatively limited cuisine. Corn and meats play central roles.
Here are some of the most popular Paraguayan foods:
Chipa: Shaped like bagels, they are made from mandioca flour
(freshly ground), corn meal, Paraguayan cheese, eggs, pig
fat/butter, anise. It is traditionally baked in a tatakua (guarani
for brick oven) that is dome shaped and heated using fire. The fire
is then removed, the food is placed inside and the two openings are
closed. The brick oven retains the heat (extreme heat!) and the
food is cooked very quickly. Chipa is traditionally a Holy
Week/Easter food. But it can also be purchased on any city/country
bus by mobile vendors year round for 1.000 mil guaranies (very
inexpensive snack). It is best served hot, it becomes hard when
cooled.
Mandioca: a starchy root vegetable also known as yuca or cassava.
Though eaten in many countries with sauces or fried, in Paraguay,
it is simply peeled and boiled - no seasoning, not even salt.
Mandioca is eaten at nearly every meal, 365 days a year. Most
Paraguayans would not eat anything without it.
Sopa Paraguaya: a corn bread made from fresh ground corn meal,
eggs, pig fat or butter, salt, Paraguayan fresh cheese, onions
(optional). It is a bit expensive to make for people in the rural
areas, and is often a dish made for special occasions/holidays.
Chipa guazu (big chipa): very similar to sopa paraguaya. The
difference is the texture. Chipa guazu is "mushier" due to the corn
being only slightly milled (to the texture of creamed corn, rather
than corn flour used in sopa). It is quite popular during the corn
harvest, as it really only requires corn, eggs and cheese.
Asado, or barbecue: a very popular meal particularly for Sundays
and holidays. Beef ribs are cooked on a "parrilla" or grill with
only salt and lemon juice as seasoning. Pork is very popular, pigs
are raised for 1-2 years in advance of a special occasion or a
religious holiday. Generally it is prepared in a mix of lemon
juice, cumin and salt and baked in the tatakua oven.
Note: Edited from source material from Answers.com
