Things that tasted good in South America

Based on my extensive culinary knowledge of South America (i.e. Peru and Argentina), I’d have to say I enjoyed pretty much everything I ate. I’d slap a small child for some ceviche right now, as a matter of fact.

Let’s start from the beginning.

INCA KOLA!

The cola of the Incas, brewed specifically by them hundreds of years ago. No—that’s a joke. Don’t quote that.

It glows in the dark, is the most popular soft drink in Peru, and tastes like cream soda. It is EVERYWHERE, and I requested it whenever the opportunity arose. After all, when in Rome…

Get really high from sugar.

INCA KOLA JELLO!

I can’t help but feel this would have been better with vodka. Inca Kola Jello shots.

CEVICHE!

Like sushi for Peruvians, this raw fish/seafood dish is marinated in citrusy juices and sometimes chilli peppers. I don’t know if anyone serves this in St. John’s. Anybody know? You mean there’s no Peruvian population in Newfoundland? Appalling.

DRINKS! DRINKS!

I bought a half-case of beer at a supermarket in Lima for less than $5 CDN. It set the theme for the rest of the trip.

Alexis' rum and coke...which was really just rum.

Who can forget the PISCO SOURS?! Mandatory at every dinner table in Peru. It’s a pisco brandy drink with lime and lemon, as well as a egg white to top it off. Yes, egg white. Comes with a high probability of drunkness.

ALPACA!

I didn’t eat any on this trip, actually. But I have in the past, and I can assure you, they’re delicious once you get past the fact they have eyelashes.

Delicious.

What does llama taste like?

GUINEA PIG!

I didn’t eat this one. I had caught the malicious stomach bug that had circulated our tour group, and when that grilled, marinated guinea pig was set down in front of me, my stomach lurched. I had to leave the table. I returned to cut off a tiny piece of meat, but could not deal with the smell. You know that kind of nausea, right?

Everyone else loved it, however…with the exception of Mike, who somehow managed to eat an eyeball. It was caught on film.

PIZZA!

At a restaurant named Guerrin in Buenos Aires, I had a religious pizza experience.

We were hungry. We had been flying all day, and I was hungover as hell. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Argentinean men. And then, ‘lo and behold, waiters brought us the cheesiest, most beautiful pizzas I have ever seen. THERE WAS SO MUCH CHEESE. THE CHEESE WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE PIZZA AND OVERFLOWING ONTO THE TABLE.

I got a little emotional.

It was the perfect moment, just perfect. Even if I could go back to Guerrin, I’m not sure I would. I don’t want that memory to become skewed.

MEAT AND MALBEC!

Two things that go hand in hand in Argentina. We went to an asado, an Argentinean grill, where we simply selected the kinds of meat we wanted and the cooks grilled it right in front of us. Of course, since there was a language barrier, the cooks communicated by pointing to their various body parts as a way of asking which part of the animal we wanted to eat. Breast, anyone?

We developed a serious case of the meat sweats.

Pair it with Malbec, a lovely red wine, and you’re practically a full-on Argentinean. You may even be granted the gift of fluent Spanish. I knew I had made it when I could withdraw money from the Spanish ATM.

APPLE TINY AMOUNT!

One of the most bizarre dessert options spied on our menu at the asado in Buenos Aires. Apple tiny amount. The Argentineans allow no word to go wasted.

Thanks, Contiki, for broadening my horizons.

  • October 05 2011

    homg. STILL JEALOUS!!! Inca kola jello looks totally like something I NEED in my life! Lo quiero en mi vidaaaa!!!!

    • October 05 2011

      Me too, where can we find some?!

  • October 05 2011

    I’m dying to get some Argentinian meat. Wow that sounded bad, but honestly, I want steak from Argentina now!

    • October 05 2011

      Coulda been worse, you coulda said “sausage”!

  • October 05 2011

    Btw, my South Americans tell me the best pizza is found in Brazil. I guess Argentina’s pizza is A-OK as well!

  • October 05 2011

    Oh Nashe, Brazilians will always say that everything is better in Brazil than in Argentina LOL! You’ll just have to go to both countries and see for yourself.

    Guerrin is among the oldest and most traditional pizza restaurants in Buenos Aires. Good choice!

    • October 07 2011

      Yay! Yeah, felt like a super “local” place. was so glad to be there.

  • October 05 2011

    Candice, this is such a great post! I am definitely taking note of all these things for when I go over to south america this winter! :)

    • October 07 2011

      Yay Jessica! You will love it!

  • October 05 2011

    Now I’m hungry. Mmmmm. And thirsty. . .
    (which, is actually pretty impressive. I’ve had no appetite for three days. Damn cold.)

    I’m pretty sure I would try guinea pig, unless it smelled like something I didn’t want to eat. But that would have to be a pretty bad smell. Though, I have quite a few guinea pig patients, and that grilled up guinea pig looks pretty much like any of them with their fur ripped off, so it might be a bit disturbing. . .

    ..now i want to add cream soda to my shopping list for tomorrow. .
    now i will drool over that picture of pizza while I eat things with no flavour because i’m too stuffed up to care. I’ll imagine it tastes like cheesey goodness!

    • October 07 2011

      I’m hungry again too. Let’s go to SA.

  • October 05 2011

    Now I feel guilty, because I have seldom lived far from Inka Cola and I never drink it. Glad you had a super time, and left bambi’s alpaca cousin to run free. Sorry you couldn’t taste the cuy!

    • October 07 2011

      Ship some Inca Kola up to me?

  • October 06 2011

    Sounds absolutely amazing and delicious! Oh, except for the guinea pig part. That pic made me shudder. I wouldn’t be able to do it, but everything else sounds wonderful.

    • October 07 2011

      Hehe, some of the people on my trip even WATCHED the guinea pig get prepared. Not sure how they did that.

  • October 07 2011

    That pizza looks absolutely mouthwatering! I’ve never really considered going to South America, but if I start thinking about it, I’ll remember that the food is a huge reason to travel there.

    • October 11 2011

      You’d love it! UGH just thinking about that pizza is killing me, hahaha.

  • October 07 2011

    Guinea pig is delicious, tastes just like chicken!

    • October 11 2011

      Hahaha, somehow I don’t believe it.

  • October 08 2011

    Mmm, I love pisco sour, but I can’t bring myself to try guinea pig. They look too much like pets!!

    • October 11 2011

      Maybe after a few pisco sours you could try guinea pig? :)

  • October 09 2011

    So what was it about the guinea pig smell that made you hurl? I don’t know if I’d be able to eat it either.
    There is a Peruvian restaurant down the street from me here. They sell liters of Inca Cola. If you can’t find it, let me know and I will send you some (if the Japanese allow me to ship liquids).

    • October 11 2011

      Agh! Inca Kola! Ship me some! Hahaha, jk.

      Well, you know how you’re sick and there’s this one smell that’ll make you wanna hurl? It could be anything, even something you’ve always loved eating, but in that instant you’re completely repulsed? That’s how I was. I’m sure if I weren’t sick, I could do it. :)

  • October 09 2011

    The food in South America is phenomenal! When I was in Buenos Aires I went to Guerrin pizza for the individual slices just about every single day…LOL I loved the ‘overflowing’ cheese. I shouldn’t admit this but I almost choked on it once! :P

    • October 11 2011

      Hahaha, YES! I love how so many of the locals hang out there too. So epic.

  • February 23 2013
    Arrrrrrpan

    How was the guinea pig ? Does Inca Kola really glow in the dark?

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