South America

South America

Beans of every color, a rainbow of chile peppers, potatoes from purple to yellow, tomatoes small and large  – all originated in South America and are on plates in South Florida, one of the best places to find places serving these foods: Venezuelan and Colombian restaurants, Brazilian churrascarias, Peruvian ceviche places and Argentinean grills, to name a few. And you don’t have to look far to find authentic ingredients since most supermarkets carry them.

Foods from South America

BEANS (Phaseolus vulgaris, P. lunatus), cultivated throughout the Americas, are an essential source of protein. In South America, varieties include cranberry beans, which originated in Colombia, and lima beans, from the Andes.

CASSAVA or YUCA (Manihot esculenta), domesticated thousands of years ago in Brazil and Central America, is key to Brazilian cuisine. Its starchy roots are are made into farofa, a ground meal that’s cooked and served.  

CHILE PEPPERS (Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens, C. chinense) are among the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas, in Peru in particular, where multiple varieties have been grown and consumed.

CORN or MAIZE (Zea mays), domesticated in southern Mexico, spread throughout South America, through the Andes and south to Chile. Maize is eaten as a vegetable, ground into flour, fed to livestock, and the basis of products like corn syrup and biofuel.

PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus), one of world’s most popular tropical fruits, originated in Brazil and spread to the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico and Hawaii. A bromeliad, pineapple is used worldwide in fruit salads, juice, jams and preserves, and is rich in vitamin C and manganese.

POTATOES (Solanum tuberosum), domesticated thousands of years ago in the Andes, were introduced to Europe by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, and today are eaten throughout the world. There are thousands of varieties and colors, including russet, red, white, yellow and purple potatoes.

TOMATOES (Solanum lycopersicum), originally from the Andes, were cultivated in Mexico and came to Europe with the Spanish, where Spain and Italy embraced them in sauces, soups, pizza, stews and salads. Considered berries, tomatoes come in red, yellow, orange, purple, green, brown and even indigo, and are a moderate source of vitamin C.

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