International Cooking: Food from Paraguay

I always look forward to South American countries and Paraguay was no different! I had a good idea of what to expect from food from Paraguay after all the other countries in the region I’ve cooked from, but I was happy to find a few dishes that were new to me.

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America, almost right in the center of the continent but a bit further south. It shares borders with Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. Before the Spanish arrived, the region was inhabited by the agricultural Guarani people in the east and various nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes in the west.

Spanish explorers first came in 1516, and in 1524 the conquistadores arrived. Present-day Paraguay became part of a colonial province of the Spanish Empire, known as the Governorate of the Rio de la Plata.

Jesuit missions were common in the region at the time, and many of the native people were converted to Christianity. However, in 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish territories, and Paraguay gradually became less important to the Spanish.

In 1811, the Spanish administration was overthrown by Paraguay’s first dictator, who ruled until his death in 1840. A series of authoritarian governments followed, until the Paraguayan War that lasted from 1864-1870. The result was the loss of around half the country’s population and 25-33% of its territory.

The country was ruled by various military dictators until an internal military coup in 1989, which began Paraguay’s current democratic era.

Paraguay today is a developing country. Around 90% of its people still speak various dialects of the Guarani language (as well as Spanish), which I think is pretty amazing after such a long period of Spanish rule!

What Do People Eat in Paraguay?

Traditional Paraguayan cuisine is based on ingredients such as cassava/yuca, sweet potato, squash, local game, and corn, the latter of which is used in many different ways, as you will see if you read further.

Ingredients like beef, lamb, milk, eggs, and cheese were all introduced much later, around the 16th century when the Spanish arrived. These foods were quickly embraced and incorporated into many dishes, especially cheese, which seems popular in Paraguay. Modern Paraguayan cuisine shows a mix of old ingredients and techniques with newer ones, with influences from Spain and, to a lesser extent, Italy and Germany.

Meat, especially beef, is popular in Paraguay today, but beans and lots of different vegetables are also common. Meals often include corn in some form, whether it’s in a soup or made into cornbread or tortillas. Rice is another popular accompaniment.

What I Made

• Bife Koygua (Beef Stew with Poached Egg)
• Sopa Paraguaya (Cheesy Cornbread)
• Vori Vori (Chicken Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings)
• Rora (Cornmeal Porridge with Egg, Cheese, and Vegetables)
• Pira Caldo (Fish and Vegetable Soup)

Scroll down to read about other popular Paraguayan dishes I didn’t make!

Bife Koygua (Beef Stew with Poached Egg)

This beef and vegetable stew is usually served with an egg, so I knew I had to make it!

I started by cooking slices of chuck roast in oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin (the cumin was labeled ‘optional’ in the recipe and never used in the directions so I used it here). Regarding the meat—the recipe called for top round but I already had chuck and I thought it would also hold up better considering the cooking time.

I added garlic, bell peppers (red, yellow, and green), onion, and tomato, then covered the pan and let everything cook until the vegetables were tender.

I added sliced potatoes and water, as well as some beef Better Than Bouillon. I covered the pan and cooked until the potatoes were done, then stirred in some cilantro and green onion. I dropped in a few eggs and once they were cooked, the stew was ready.

I thought this was good, though I prefer bigger chunks of meat in a stew like this. Thin slices seem common in this dish. I of course loved the addition of the egg. I served this with sopa paraguaya (next recipe) but you could also serve it with rice, tortillas, or cooked cassava/yuca.

This recipe is from Camila Made.

Sopa Paraguaya (Cheesy Cornbread)

This take on cornbread is so popular that it is considered the national dish of Paraguay. The main ingredients are fine cornmeal, eggs, corn, and cheese—typically Queso Paraguay, which is a soft cheese similar to either queso fresco or mozzarella, depending on the source. I used a mixture of mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese.

I started by cooking some finely chopped onion in oil, then added salt. While the onions cooled, I blended corn kernels to make a coarse puree.

I beat the egg whites in my stand mixer, then when they were light and frothy I whisked in the yolks one at a time.

In a large bowl, I combined the cornmeal and corn puree. Then I added the cooked onion and oil, followed by milk, cheese, half the egg mixture, and finally more milk and the rest of the eggs. I poured the mixture into a baking pan and baked it until the top was golden. I think it took me a little over 45 minutes.

This recipe made a lot and I did not halve it because I thought it would be delicious and I could just freeze it. Unfortunately, although I liked the soft texture, I felt that this really needed more salt. I would probably add at least another teaspoon if I were to make it again. Or I could try to find some actual Queso Paraguay, which may have more flavor. However, the recipe did not call for it so this couldn’t make up for the lack of salt. I did still enjoy this but it wasn’t as good as it could have been.

The recipe I used is from NYT Cooking.

Vori Vori (Chicken Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings)

I love dumplings so I had to try this chicken soup with cheesy cornmeal dumplings! I thought it seemed unique because of the dumpling style.

I started by seasoning some bone-in chicken thighs with an approximation of adobo and sazon seasoning, neither of which I have. I used cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I browned the chicken in oil, then removed it from the pot and set it aside.

I added onion, celery, bell pepper (red and green), and carrot to the same pot. After cooking for a few minutes, I added butternut squash, followed by tomato and finally garlic after a few minutes more. I seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and some fresh parsley. Then I poured in some chicken stock, returned the chicken to the pot, and let it cook.

While the soup cooked, I made the dumpling dough by combining fine cornmeal, salt, olive oil, mozzarella, Parmesan, and a little parsley. I added liquid from the soup until I had a dough that would hold together. Then, once the chicken was nearly ready, I formed small dumplings and added them to the soup.

Once the dumplings were cooked through, the soup was ready. I pulled out the chicken thighs and took the meat off, then added it back to the pot, just because I prefer not to have to deal with bones in a soup. I thought this tasted really good and the dumplings had great flavor, but I think they could have used some baking powder to lighten them up a bit. I feel like this is always my issue with dumplings that don’t include baking powder; they just turn out dense.

To make this, I used a recipe from Sabroso on YouTube.

Rora (Cornmeal Porridge with Egg, Cheese, and Vegetables)

This is yet another meal made with cornmeal and cheese! However, here I used regular cornmeal instead of the finely ground stuff. Rora is a highly customizable breakfast food—it can incorporate various vegetables and meat such as chorizo, and it often includes an egg too.

I went with a simple version. I sautéed some onion in oil and butter, then added tomato and spinach. I stirred in the cornmeal and water, along with plenty of salt. I kept cooking until the cornmeal was soft, then stirred in a mixture of mozzarella and queso fresco (again, Queso Paraguay would probably be the most authentic here). I added an egg, and once it was cooked my rora was ready to serve.

This recipe is from In the Kitchen (each recipe link downloads a Word document, which is a little unusual so I wanted to warn you).

Pira Caldo (Fish and Vegetable Soup)

This is a fish soup, typically made from catfish though I used cod because I had it already. This soup is also a bit unusual as it is often garnished with cheese! I personally have no problem pairing seafood with cheese but I know it’s often considered ‘wrong’ by certain schools of cooking.

I began by sautéeing onion, bell pepper (green and red), Serrano chili, leek, celery, carrot, and a bay leaf. Once the vegetables had softened, I added salt, pepper, tomato paste, and chopped tomato and cooked for a little longer. I poured in white wine and simmered for a few minutes. Then I added water, and once the soup was simmering again I added pieces of cod.

When the fish was just about cooked, I stirred in milk and left the soup on the heat for just another minute or so before turning it off. Milk can curdle quickly and I wanted to avoid that!

I served the soup with cilantro and grated Monterey Jack. I liked the addition of the cheese, but I tried my leftovers with queso fresco and I preferred that. Overall, this was a nice fish soup but I’m not sure I liked it enough to make it again.

The recipe I used is from 196 Flavors.

Other Popular Paraguayan Dishes

• Lampreado – a deep-fried cake or fritter that is typically made from cassava, beef, and various seasonings.
• Tallarin Paraguayo – a pasta dish displaying Italian influences, consisting of spaghetti with a sauce made from beef, tomato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
• Chipa guasu – similar to sopa Paraguaya, except this is made from ground fresh corn rather than cornmeal, resulting in a softer and more moist consistency.

Final Thoughts

This was another excellent week! Everything was pretty good but I think I’d pick the vori vori as my favourite food from Paraguay.

Next week, I will be cooking food from Peru.