Does bolivian food contain nuts?

by Betty
(London)

I will be travelling around Bolivia and want to avoid anything with nuts in it as I have a nut allergy.

Comments for Does bolivian food contain nuts?

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Jun 08, 2012
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No regard for allergies
by: Anonymous

You should definitely be careful. Bolivia doesn't seem to have any laws about labeling food ingredients, or if it does they aren't strictly applied. In addition, hygiene isn't Bolivia's forté. I highly doubt chefs think at all about avoiding the use of one utensil in several foods when cooking. I can easily picture a chef cooking peanut soup and then dipping the same spoon into something else.

Bolivians don't have a culture of questioning whether something may cause a person an allergic reaction or not, especially with food.

I'd suggest, when you eat out, that you definitely alert the chef that you have a nut allergy and carefully explain in detail that even using the same spoon in preparing your food that has been used to prepare another food could put you in danger of a reaction.

Oct 21, 2011
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Be Ware
by: Anonymous

I lived in Bolivia for 1 year and my comment is this. Bolivia is very nut friendly and not as aware of alergy's like in North America. They very well may use the same pot, spoon etc in the kitchen when food is being prepared.

Oct 13, 2011
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ask before you eat
by: Anonymous

Bolivia is known for using nuts in many dishes. Ask before you eat. You'll want to avoid foods like

sopa de maní - peanut soup
papas a la huancaina - potatoes with peanut sauce
anticuchos - shish kabobs with spicy peanut sauce

Also be aware that peanuts and nuts are included in many sauces including salad dressings. You may not sense the flavor of the nuts and therefore will not know they are there. For example, when you go to chicken restaurants they serve a yellowish sauce which most people put on their rice. This is peanut sauce, although it looks more like ranch dressing. If you go to a grill, peanut sauce is also one of the sauces which are used on meats. If you purchase pies or cake, be sure to ask if they include any ground nuts too.

Ask before you eat. No one will be offended if you just tell them the truth - that you have an allergy and you truly need to know.

Oct 09, 2011
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Err on the side of caution.
by: TJB

I don't know how severe your allergy to nuts is, therefore I am assuming the worst, severe. My fear is that if they stir your nut-free soup, or food with the same spoon they stir the sopa de mani or something else that does contain nuts...and then serve it to you and you have a reaction. That would be terrible!

Oct 08, 2011
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Peanut soup
by: Anonymous

Watch out for peanut soup (sopa de mani), which is very common, and frequently included in prix fixe lunches

Oct 08, 2011
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question about nuts
by: jsd

Yes there are many soups and other products that contain nuts. You should not have any issues if using caution as there are many more that does not contain nuts than does contain them.

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