The food of South America is full of contrasts and flavors. The cuisine of this continent is very interesting and attractive, full of surprises and peculiarities, and not only that: it also is very varied and at the same time most of its countries share some ingredients in common.
One of the main secrets of many South American dishes is tradition: their recipes are unique inherited goods passed from one generation to the next. And at the same time, each generation often adds new recipes based on traditional ingredients and spices to this inheritance.
You could find some dishes that are traditional to several South American countries, and at the same time you could also find many other dishes that are unique and typical to one of those countries and very different to the traditional cuisine of the rest of the continent. So, as you can see, learning about and trying the South American cuisine can be very exciting.
Every South American country has traditional recipes based on the main natural resources it counts with, and this continent has a very contrasting variety of geographical and climatic differences that cause them to be able to count with different ingredients provided by the nature. Even within one country, such as Brazil, we can find outstanding variations and contrasts, so imagine from one country to other!
For example, in the southern South American countries the climate and geographical characteristics as well as the events that have taken place in them during their history have caused this area to count with great livestock resources, allowing its people to become masters in red meat dishes.
And on the other hand, northern South American countries often count with the perfect conditions for counting with excellent fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. This region also usually uses more peppers and spices than southern South American countries.
However, some dishes and ingredients, such as dulce de leche (one of the most famous South American foods), can be usually found throughout the entire continent regardless of where it was originated (it was originated in the Uruguay – Argentina region, and there are different theories on how and exactly where it was first prepared).