In this article, we decided to show you the most delicious foods of Paraguay to try. As we were guests to a great local in Asuncion, we got to try all the traditional foods and we want to share the experience with you. Paraguayan cuisine is based a lot on corn and cornflour, but even if you’ll find these ingredients in most foods, the taste is definitely different.
We tried some of these foods at Lido Bar, a great place where locals go to eat when they don’t feel like cooking.
Asado Paraguayo
Paraguayans have a different way of making barbecue compared to Europeans as they cook the meat while the coals are burning. Also, the difference between a barbecue and an asado is that the asado is more of a ceremony – in Paraguay, the man of the house makes the asado while the women make the side dishes that usually consist of boiled yuca. Chris is a big barbeque fan so he enjoyed this part the most, and our host, Laura, made the experience last forever.
Sopa Paraguaya
This is the weirdest soup we have ever tried – and that is because it has nothing liquid in it. Basically, at some point in the past, someone made an error and added too much cornflour to soup and the soup then turned solid.
Sopa Paraguaya is made out of cornflour, onions, cheese, eggs, milk, and oil. The cooking method is similar to the Chipa Guazu, but the onions are cooked first until they become soft.
Check out the Sopa Paraguaya recipe here.
Chipa Guazú
Chipa (guarani language) means bread, and the chipa guazu is made out of corn kernels, milk, cheese, and eggs that are mixed together while boiling and then cooked in the oven for about one hour. This was Julie’s favorite food in Paraguay.
Check out the Chipa Guazu recipe here.
Mbeju
This is probably one of the crispiest foods of Paraguay and it contains yucca (mandioca or tapioca) flour, cheese, milk, salt, and butter. Compared to the Chipa Guazu and Sopa Paraguaya, the mix is must be fried on the stove instead of being cooked in the oven.
Check out the mbeju recipe here.
Pastel mandi’o
This snack is similar to an empanada made with corn and yucca (mandioca) flour and it can have different fillings. We tried the ones with ham and cheese and the ones with beef.
Choriqueso
This is definitely one of the main dishes to try! It consists of a type of sausage that you can buy or make and then cook it on the parilla (grill). What is special about it is the fact that it is filled with cheese in the middle. It tastes delicious.
Morcilla
Another interesting type of sausage that you can also find in Spanish cuisine, is the morcilla. This is a very soft and dark in color sausage which only contains cow blood.
Bife al Caballo
This is a very tasty main dish that Paraguayan countrymen consume also for breakfast as it is full of proteins. The food consists of sirloin steaks cut into small pieces with cooked onions and fried eggs on top.
Dulce de Mamón
This is a dessert dish to try which is similar to a compote. The food contains papaya as the main ingredient and it is topped with caramel sauce.
Learn how to make dulce de mamón here.
Dulce de Guayaba
Another Paraguayan dessert food that is similar to a solid jam made of guayaba (guava). It is definitely one of the dishes to try while in Paraguay!
Which foods of Paraguay would you try first? if you want to know more about our travels to Paraguay, check out the best drinks to try or more about our journey in Asuncion.
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