South American Foods: Andean/Pacific Coast South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile)

The Andean highlands and the Pacific coast of South America have a rich culinary history that spans over twelve centuries. Located in the modern-day countries of Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, the Andes divide this region into rugged mountain highlands and a temperate coastal zone. Two distinct types of cuisine evolved out of these climatic and geographic differences.

The influence of food from the Andean highlands and the Pacific coast of South America is apparent in many aspects of American cuisine. However, unlike other ethnic foods in America, the food of the Andean highlands and the Pacific Coast has not always been introduced through direct immigration. Immigrants from Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru account for a relatively small percentage of the Hispanic population of the United States and the food introduced to America through culinary trends, trade, and indirect migration.