Top Latin American Dishes - Must-Try Delicacies in Latin American Cuisine

As a tasty snack that's not only served in eateries and homes in South America but also the Monkey Bar Dubai or any other Latin restaurant in Dubai, the delectable pastry differs in the filling. While some variations of this popular fried or baked bread dish contain meat and cheese, the traditional recipe also includes some "corn smut" or "huitlacoche", which is also a delicacy in Mexican circles. Other popular fillings include fruits and veggies as there are also sweet and savoury incarnations of this ubiquitous dish that are sold via snack stands as well as fine dining hubs.

Cheese lovers won't be able to resist this roll that's consumed both as a tea time assortment and a breakfast meal in Brazil where it is known as "pão de queijo". The same dish, which is called "pan de yucca" in Costa Rica, is identified as "pandebono" in Colombia. This dish is not only familiar to locals in Paraguay and Argentina but also to Bolivia although Coronel Bogado in Paraguay is deemed the capital of Chipa and the city that invented the dish.

This delicious Latin American meal is called Huminta in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador and is called Tamale by English speakers due to how the dish is mentioned in Latin American restaurants in the west. As a conventional dish that's attributed to the Mesoamerican culture, tamale is made using a corn-infused dough that's boiled or steamed in a leaf. The filling can contain meat, fruits, chillies, or vegetables.

Dubbed the national dish of Brazil, Feijoada is a thick black bean soup that also includes beef or pork meat. Usually served with a plate of steamed rice, popular side dishes that are part of a Feijoada meal include blood sausages (chouriço, morcela), vegetables and farinheira. A bowl of Feijoada is often paired with a cocktail such as Caipirinha at Brazilian restaurants, which is a local brandy that's made using sugar cane. This meal is typically reserved for Saturdays in most Brazilian homes although the dish is served daily in restaurants across Rio de Jeneiro.

Hailing from Colombia, Bandeja Paisa is a regional dish that was introduced to local cuisine by those inhabiting the Paisa region. This mammoth meal that's served in a tray allows diners to enjoy a plethora of dishes in one sitting. White rice, red bean curry cooked with chunks of port, and a ground meat side dish called "carne molida" are staples that feature on every Bandeja Paisa tray, which also come with black pudding, a fried egg, a flatbread, plantains, lemon and avocado. Colombians like to drink their favourite anise-infused beverage Aguardiente when digging into Bandeja Paisa although the meal pairs just as well with a glass of wine or soda.