What do you guys eat for breakfast in Bolivia?
(Detroit Michigan)
What do you guys eat for breakfast in Bolivia?
Thanks for your question. The most typical Bolivian breakfast is similar to what restaurants and hotels might call a "continental" breakfast. It is simply some coffee or tea, with bread or toast and jams, jellies or honey.
One thing you may find surprising, is that even small children are served coffee. It's not uncommon to start children on coffee as early as 2 years old, usually served with milk and sugar.
Hot cereals like oatmeal, quinoa cereal and semola (grits) are also quite common.
In the Eastern and Northern tropics it's also very common to eat plates of fresh cut fruits, fruit salad, fruit juices, fruit smoothies, or fruit shakes, especially mango, papaya, passion fruit, strawberry, watermelon, etc. Often this is accompanied by yogurt.
In the Western highlands breakfasts may also be more savory than sweet, consisting of boiled potatoes or "chuño", which is a type of dehydrated potato, accompanied by a boiled egg and a piece of fresh cheese, and topped with a hot sauce called llajua.
In Central Bolivia a common breakfast food is "buñuelos" which is a type of deep-fried sweetbread drizzled with a syrup that is similar to honey, or dusted with powdered sugar. This is usually eaten with "api" which is a hot, thick drink made from purple cornmeal.
In general, Bolivians do not typically eat large breakfasts as we do in the US with, for example: bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, waffles, bagels, sugary cereals, donuts, etc. They tend to eat a smaller breakfast and then, at about 10-10:30 in the morning it is customary to take a short break from work or other activities to have a small snack. The most popular mid-morning snack is probably Bolivia's famous salteña, which is only served in the mornings.
However, every family is different and there is a lot of European and foreign influence on food in Bolivia. There are families who eat a more American brunch-style or "international" type of breakfast. Over the past 10-15 years, boxed cereals have become more and more popular.
Overall, unless it's a special occasion, breakfast tends to be a small affair in Bolivia.
Thanks for your question. The most typical Bolivian breakfast is similar to what restaurants and hotels might call a "continental" breakfast. It is simply some coffee or tea, with bread or toast and jams, jellies or honey.
One thing you may find surprising, is that even small children are served coffee. It's not uncommon to start children on coffee as early as 2 years old, usually served with milk and sugar.
Hot cereals like oatmeal, quinoa cereal and semola (grits) are also quite common.
In the Eastern and Northern tropics it's also very common to eat plates of fresh cut fruits, fruit salad, fruit juices, fruit smoothies, or fruit shakes, especially mango, papaya, passion fruit, strawberry, watermelon, etc. Often this is accompanied by yogurt.
In the Western highlands breakfasts may also be more savory than sweet, consisting of boiled potatoes or "chuño", which is a type of dehydrated potato, accompanied by a boiled egg and a piece of fresh cheese, and topped with a hot sauce called llajua.
In Central Bolivia a common breakfast food is "buñuelos" which is a type of deep-fried sweetbread drizzled with a syrup that is similar to honey, or dusted with powdered sugar. This is usually eaten with "api" which is a hot, thick drink made from purple cornmeal.
In general, Bolivians do not typically eat large breakfasts as we do in the US with, for example: bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, waffles, bagels, sugary cereals, donuts, etc. They tend to eat a smaller breakfast and then, at about 10-10:30 in the morning it is customary to take a short break from work or other activities to have a small snack. The most popular mid-morning snack is probably Bolivia's famous salteña, which is only served in the mornings.
However, every family is different and there is a lot of European and foreign influence on food in Bolivia. There are families who eat a more American brunch-style or "international" type of breakfast. Over the past 10-15 years, boxed cereals have become more and more popular.
Overall, unless it's a special occasion, breakfast tends to be a small affair in Bolivia.
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