Latin Cooking
Hispanic Foods Influences & Ingredients

Where Our Food Comes From

Latin cooking started as mix of ingredients from the old world, the new world and the new immigrants. When Columbus set foot in La Española he didn't know the exchange of foods, animals, exotic woods, and plants was about to start full force.

The old world gave us wheat, onions, chickpeas, cauliflower, garlic, beet, lettuce, spinach, almonds, sugar cane, apricots, cherries, pears, figs, peaches, lemons and oranges (to my surprise) as well as cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and chickens. Many of the new plants grew like wild fire in the unspoiled and fertile soils of America.

Because of the constant trading many Hispanic foods entered far countries like India, where hot peppers and peanuts are a staple of their diet, the same happened to sweet potatoes in china.

African and Other Influences in Hispanic Cuisine

African slavery started in 1538 and ended 400 years later leaving about 10 million African slaves in Hispanic America.

The slaves lived in the sugar cane and plantain farms where they cultivated their own foods. They also worked cooking, therefore over time they introduced their ingredients to our cooking creating a tasty blend. Palm oil, ginger, okra, and greens are all gifts from African slaves.

The main influence in Latin cooking came from the Spaniards who were influenced by the Moorish occupation. They brought oranges and olives, nuts and olive oil which they learnt to use from the Arabs.

Many variations of the famous tapas are all over Hispanic America, enpanadas, pinchos, croquetas and pickeled foods are examples of them.

In the beginning of the late 1800s about 2.5 million Italians settled in Argentina and 1.2 million in Brazil influencing Latin ingredients and methods of cooking.

Our cooking is what I call a rich mix, it comes from the indigenous people, the African slaves, the Spaniards and Portuguese, and has a touch of German, Italian and French cooking.

Latin Cooking by Country

Colombian Food
Discover the taste of Colombian food. Learn about influences on Colombian cuisine, regional foods, main Colombian dishes, fruits and vegetables. Get the top Colombian food recipes.

Argentinean Food

Peruvian Food
This is what David Schneider who moved from the U.S. to Peru has to say about Paruvian cooking: Drawing on a varied cultural and geographical background, Peru cooking is savory and exotic and recognized as world class cuisine. From the famous "Peruvian ceviche" on the coast, to the origins of potatoes in the Andes, local ingredients have been tastefully refined by the Spanish, Chinese, European and other immigrants over the centuries. Rich and satisfying - you must try it!

Bolivian Food
Potatoes, coca leaves and hot spices are some of Bolivian food ingrediets that make this country's food so special. Discover the characteristic types of foods of this Hispanic country.

Cuban Food
Cuban food is a mix of Spanish, African, and Caribbean cuisines, which makes sense because these three groups of people have been living on the island for centuries now.

Mexican Cooking

Puerto Rican Food