In Bolivia food and culture are one and the same! Now you can learn to cook delicious Bolivian foods too! Once a month on Wacataya Wednesdays Chef Noly teaches us about amazing ingredients used in traditional Bolivian foods, and shares some of her favorite Bolivian recipes with us.

Wondering what wacataya is? Also spelled huacataya, it is an herb used in many traditional Bolivian foods and is best known as one of the main ingredients in llajua, a hot sauce Bolivians put on almost everything! You'll like Wacataya Wednesdays so much, a week without us will be like Bolivian food without llajua!

Do apples grow in Bolivia?  Do apples grow in Bolivia or are they imported?

Is it true that bolivians eat guinea pigs?!?  Is it true that bolivians eat guinea pigs?!? because i heard they do. that would be gross.

Charque  My daughter spent several weeks in Bolivia this summer and loved the food. She has looked up some recipes and we are having problems finding some of the ...

Buying Saltenas  Is there any places that make salteñas and ship them here in the US?

Eggplant garlic salsa served in restaurants in Santa Cruz  Hi Chef Noly ! I would like to know how to prepare the eggplant/garlic salsa. Thanks !!!!!!!!

Chairo Paceño - Great Soup for a Cold Winter  In Chicago we are mid summer and enjoying lovely 85 degree weather but in Bolivia its the middle of winter. What better recipe to offer you for a chilly ...

Papas a la Huancaina - Potatoes with Peanut Sauce  Peanuts and potatoes, two of Bolivia's staple foods, combine into an unforgettably delicious salad called Papas a la Huancaina.

Check out the recipe ...

How to make a chiro soup?  My boyfriend is bolivian and introduced me to chiro. It's a thick bolivian soup with with three types of corns in it. There is the purple corn, the big ...

names of bolivian foods and other information  what are some of the names of the Bolivian foods?? what are some information about the people, the education, the tourism, the history, and the name of ...

One Year of Wacataya Wednesdays!  It's amazing to think that Bella and I have been collaborating on Wacataya Wednesdays for a year already. Happy Anniversary Bella, it's been a memorable ...

quinoa  How do you prepare quinoa on a tradition way?

Baked Tamales  Chef Noly, I want to know how to make Baked Tamales. I have frozen ones in my freezer but my family usually boils them in a pot. I want to try the baked ...

Freezing Saltenas  I want to know the best way to freeze the saltenas after I make them. What should I wrap them in? Foil? And then how long do I need to cook them once ...

What to choose?   Dear Chef Noly, I am going to be visiting Cochabamba, Bolivia in the spring. What do you suggest i try from your recipe section that would be the most ...

Paneton - Bolivian Christmas Bread  Christmas may be over but the taste for Christmas Bread lingers on. In South America this Christmas Bread is known as Panetón or Pan Dulce. It is a yeasted ...

Christmas bread  Chef Noly, do you have a recipe for the traditional Christmas bread that is served in Santa Cruz?

More information on Cuñapes  Hello! My family and I have some connections with Bolivia and, of course, its food. A question has been nagging us for some time, though: Cannot cuñapes ...

girl scout needs recipe  We are hosting a Girl Scout World Thinking Day Bazaar and one of my troops have picked Bolivia as their country of interest. We need to have some food ...

chef noly's  quisiera obtener la receta del puchero cochabambino gracias

I have a school project for Bolivia. What should I make?  I have a school project for Bolivia. What should I make?

Motojobobo - Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia  Santa Cruz, Bolivia is the place to be during the month of September! Don't miss the next four weeks of Wacataya Wednesday posts as I celebrate The Lost ...

Happy Friendship Day Chef Noly!  Today 23 July is Dia de la Amistad in Bolivia, as you know and I want to especially thank YOU Chef Noly for being a great friend and sharing so much fun ...

Perfect Bolivian Rice  Dear Chef Noly: When I eat rice in Bolivian restaurants it's ALWAYS perfect and delicious but when I cook rice at home it's fluffy and sticky. What do ...

Just a Trifle of Cherimoya Ice Cream  The Pacay from last week's post may be called the ice cream bean but there is another exotic fruit from Bolivia which truly holds the ice cream crown. That ...

Pacay - An Unusual Bolivian Fruit  One of the many reasons I love to travel to Bolivia is to experience the exotic fruits. In Bolivia there are many unusual fruits that are not available ...

Pastel de Choclo Pure Corn Goodness!  Chef Noly: Bella receives many recipe requests on her website. This week I am featuring a recipe requested by Rosa. Rosa is searching for an easy to ...

Saltena (carne, pollo)  looking for good receipes for saltena using beef, pork, chicken and if available seafood. Any thoughts? Thank You. Barry

Labor Day Without the Labor  Chef Noly : Arroz a la Valenciana is a quick, convenient dish to make that doesn't require a lot of labor. It's a perfect choice for a Bolivian Labor ...

Recipe for Bolivian Pastel de Choclo  Do you have a nice recipe for pastel de choclo that would be easy to make?

A recipe kids can really get wrapped up in!  One way to nurture, show love and educate children is to cook with them. There is a Bolivian recipe called Niños Envueltos that's perfect to get children ...

Your first taste of Tarija, Bolivia!  Located in South Central Bolivia, the department of Tarija is the land of wine, music and dance. This fertile and temperate valley is a perfect location ...

Bolivia's Favorite Light and Easy Dessert  Crema Chantillí is an easy dessert that takes just minutes to make. The light refreshing flavor makes it a perfect way to end a meal. Its also a great ...

Pan fried Titicaca rainbow trout.  Bolivia may not have access to the sea but there is always delicious trout from Lake Titicaca. Along the drive to Copacabana you can enjoy trout cooked ...

Working the grill Bolivia style!  Father's Day in Bolivia is celebrated on March 19th. Today's post is dedicated to food for fathers. Instead of taking your father out to dinner or buying ...

Surubi the great Amazon catfish!  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesdays! Does everyone have a big bowl of llajua ready? You're going to need it because this week I have two great Bolivian ...

Wacataya Wednesdays. Here's how it all got started.  So here's the scoop on Wacataya Wednesdays! It all started when a website visitor wrote in to let us know he and his wife had tried one of the salteña ...

Add some Bolivian spice to Valentine's Day  February in the United States means Valentine's Day and love in the air. Bolivians don't celebrate Valentine's Day but February is a great month to talk ...

Meatballs  Can people die from eating too many meatballs?

Chef Noly's Favorite New Years Recipe  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesday and Happy New Year 2012! Did you all observe the Latin tradition of wearing red underwear? Eating 12 grapes? Walking ...

Chanca de Pollo - Bolivian Chicken Soup  At this time of year in Chicago the weather is changing from beautiful Autumn to "brrrr its so cold" Winter. The unpredictable temperature fluctuating ...

Chicha Morada and Tantawawas for Day of the Dead  It's November and that means it is time to celebrate Día de Todos Santos/All Saints Day and Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. In Bolivia, these days ...

Rollo de Queso Recipe?  I go to a Bolivian cafe and get this sweet butter bread with fresco cheese in the middle but cannot find a recipe to make my own. Can you help me? Thank ...

Why Not Make Humintas With Apples?  This past weekend I found myself with a day off of work and no motivation to do any of the chores I should be doing on a typical day off. All I really ...

Bolivian Recipe for Buñuelos  Earlier this summer Bella received a recipe request for buñuelos. Buñuelos are delicious golden fried dough treats. Read about my favorite ways to eat ...

Food for a Bolivian Wedding!  Valerie from Texas is celebrating marriage by renewing her wedding vows. Congratulations on 7 years of marriage Valerie! I think its wonderful that you ...

Food History in Bolivia  What are the main differences in Bolivian cuisine pre and post Spanish colonization? thanks!

Bolivian smores?  How do you make Bolivian smores?

Escabeche de Patas de Cerdo - Pickled Pigs Feet  Bella received a recipe request for Escabeche de Patas de Cerdo from Lichamar. Lichamar wants to surprise her Bolivian husband by preparing pickled pigs ...

Quinoa Salad  A few posts ago I spoke briefly about the super grain quinoa. View quinoa and alfajores post . Quinoa is such an amazingly nutritious grain and so delicious ...

I need a recipe for Girl Girl Scouts Thinking Day. The country is Bolivia.  I need s recipe for Girl Scouts Thinking Day. The country is Bolivian.

Trying to find a recipe for an "asparagus chicken torte/torta"??  Trying to find a recipe for a dish that an old friend from Bolivia used to make, she called a "torte/torta" with asparagus, chicken meat, olives, home ...

Looking for typical Bolivian bread recipes  ase dias que estoy tratando de conseguir la variedad de panes tipicos pero no consigo nada ni siquiera hay historia en ninguna parte sobre la elaboracion ...

Ingredient Spotlight: Parsley  Ingredient Spotlight: Parsley is one of the most widely used herbs in the world, especially in Bolivia. This unassuming herb adds flavor, freshness, nutritional ...

Just a question.  What is the origin of Queso de Coco?

Tantawawas (Bread Babies)   Día de Todos Santos/All Saints Day is celebrated by Catholics on November 1st. Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead is celebrated on November second. These ...

Don't miss Wacataya Wednesdays once a month  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesdays! Starting today Wacataya Wednesdays will be posted once a month instead of once a week. I have a special project I'...

Puchero Cochabambino  Rosy from Maryland submitted a recipe request on BoliviaBella.com. She asked for a recipe to make Puchero Cochabambino. What a great recipe for this time ...

Tumbo Ice Cream - Last Chance Before Winter!  In Chicago, autumn is creeping in, leaves are starting to change color and the days are cooling off. I'm not quite ready to let go of summer though so ...

Mondongo - Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia  During the Lost Foods of Bolivia series Bella and I enjoyed discussing many different Bolivian ingredients and recipes. Of course we got side tracked ...

Tatu (Armadillo) in Bolivian Cooking  In the last post of the The Lost Foods of Bolivia series I want to talk about another category of lost foods: ingredients that are fading from use because ...

Dried Foods - Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia  Before refrigeration most cultures found ways to preserve food. In Bolivia, drying food is the preferred preservation method. Read More about Bolivia'...

Pipian de Gallina - Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesdays and installment #3 of the Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia. Peanuts and potatoes are two key Bolivian food products. You ...

Tutuma - Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesday and the Lost Foods of Eastern Bolivia series. Today's recipe focuses on plants typical of Bolivia. I chose this recipe ...

Chicharron and the Virgen de Urkupiña Festival  The place to be this week in Bolivia is Cochabamba/Quillacollo for the Virgin of Urkupiña festival. Can't make it to Bolivia right now? Then read all ...

Coffee in the Clouds  Welcome back to Wacataya Wednesdays. Join me for Coffee in the Clouds . Chef Noly

p.s. It's BYO mug! The link to Bella's cool coffee mugs and coasters ...

Bolivian Independence Day  BO! BO! BO! LI! LI! LI! VIA! VIA! VIA! Friday, August 6, 2010 is Bolivian Independence Day. Read more about the symbolic meanings of the state flag and ...

Bolivian Ingredient Spotlight: Paprika  One of the most lovely and versatile spices is paprika. Paprika is used in Bolivian cooking as well as in the cuisine of many countries around the world....

The Day the World Danced the Caporales  THE DAY THE WORLD DANCED THE CAPORALES. Want to know why Bolivians around the world danced the Caporales on 7/18/10? Read about the Caporales event and ...

Spanish Tortilla de Patatas. Congratulations Spain!  Congratulations to Spain for winning their first World Cup title! In celebration of the win I am dedicating this week's Wacataya Wednesday post to Spanish ...

Bolivian Ingredient Spotlight: Plantains  You may have seen plantains in the produce section of your grocery store and thought they were extra large unripe bananas. While plantains do resemble ...

Bolivian Ingredient Spotlight: Oregano  Oregano is an essential herb in many of the world's cuisines such as Italian, Greek, Mexican, Spanish, Turkish and South American cooking. Read more ...

Celebrate San Juan with Sucumbe  When the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying summer the Southern Hemisphere is in the midst of winter. Bolivia is located in the Southern Hemisphere and June ...

Bolivian and World Cup Soccer Food  The World Cup soccer tournament kicked off early Friday morning 6/11/10. There are 32 countries playing in the World Cup and I thought it would be interesting ...

Make Your Sweet Tooth Happy  As I write this post it is raining in Chicago. There are many chores I should be doing but on rainy days all I really like to do is bake. I've got a bit ...

Bolivian Ingredient Spotlight: Cumin - Comino  A common ingredient in Bolivian cooking is cumin.
Learn more about this flavorful spice. Thanks, Chef Noly.

Bolivian Ingredients  &...

Happy Bolivian Mother's Day May 27th!  Let's toast to our wonderful mothers with a refreshingly tart and frothy Maracuya Sour. To me the flavor of maracuya is like a sour orange which makes ...

Earth food for Earth Day!  Chef Noly : In the United States and Bolivia, Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22. The day is designed to promote awareness and appreciation ...

Paying Homage to Jaime Escalante.  Bella : On March 30th, 2010 Bolivia's most famous teacher died. He was Jaime Escalante, who immigrated to Los Angeles and became known as The Best Teacher ...

Spicing things up with llajua.  Its Wacataya Wednesday! Today launches a wonderful collaboration and ongoing celebration of Bolivian food and culture . Each Wednesday, Bella the webmaster ...