Forget Tacos. Try These 10 Unique and Unbelievable Culinary Wonders of Latin America

In Bolivia, the ultimate hangover cure is caldo de cardán, a soup whose eyebrow-raising key ingredient is a bull’s penis. Locals believe it’s not only a remedy for a rough night out, but also a natural Viagra, offering strength and virility. Alongside the bull’s member, the erogenous broth is packed with beef, lamb ribs, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, rice, and spicy Bolivian llajua sauce. The result is a thick and hearty concoction that’s cooked slowly over many hours and served piping hot. While the thought of bull’s penis may seem off-putting, it’s sliced thinly and blends into the dish. Bolivians call it “the real Red Bull,” claiming it delivers a boost of energy to shake off last night’s sins.

Belize’s cashew wine isn’t your typical glass of vino. Forget the tannins and oaky notes of your favorite bottle of Bordeaux. Instead, imagine a brew that hits your taste buds like a left hook—sugary sweet at first, then a sharp, vinegary tang that could be mistaken for cough syrup. Adding ice is said to take the edge off this drink that’s made with the highly perishable cashew fruit, not the cashew nut which is used in things like brake liners due to its toxic shells. Such is the potency of cashew wine that according to a local legend, when you step into the sun the day after drinking it, you’ll still feel its kick.

Cassareep, the heart and soul of Guyanese pepperpot, has a dark, dangerous edge. It’s a thick syrup made with raw cassava juice which can turn into cyanide if not cooked properly. Therefore, to prepare cassareep, the juice is boiled down and simmered slowly with cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and sometimes a dash of cayenne, transforming it into a deep brown liquid with preservative properties. With cassareep as a star ingredient, Guyanese pepperpot essentially becomes a self-conserving stew that does not require refrigeration for days.

If you’re after a truly local experience in Brazil, look no further than coração de galinha—chicken hearts. These bite-sized delicacies are so beloved across the country that in Brazil’s three southernmost states alone, it’s estimated that around 4.2 billion chicken hearts are consumed annually. The flavor isn’t as strong or as “organ-like” as you might expect, especially when accompanied by a squeeze of lime and a dipping of chimichurri sauce.

If you’re in Rio de Janeiro, make your way to Carretão in Ipanema, an upscale churrascaria just a stone’s throw from the iconic namesake beach. There you’ll find an endless supply of expertly grilled meats, including these savory little treasures that might just make your heart skip a beat.

In the heart of Mexico’s high plains, hidden among the roots of tequila and mezcal plants, lies one of the country’s most prized delicacies: escamoles, or “the caviar of the desert.” These ant larvae are harvested from the nests of the velvety tree ant which is nicknamed the “farty ant” (la hormiga pedorra) due to the odor of its nest. These little nuggets of protein have been around for centuries—the Aztecs were tossing them back long before Mexico City had tasting menus. They’re buttery and nutty with a texture somewhere between cottage cheese and pine nuts. Escamoles are one of Mexico’s most unusual and expensive gifts to the culinary world. Just don’t expect a delicate caviar spoon to go with it.

In Guatemala, fiambre is more than just a labor-intensive cold salad; it’s a tribute. This kaleidoscopic dish is served up on All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos Santos) and Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos), honoring deceased loved ones with a riot of colors and flavors.

With as many as 40 ingredients—ranging from beef tongue and asparagus to capers and mozzarella—it’s a beast to prepare. There’s no one recipe as each family has their own that’s passed down through the generations. Relatives come together to chop, mix, and contribute their bit to the salad and variations include fiambre verde for veggie lovers, beet-filled fiambre rojo, and fiambre desarmado, which has the ingredients arranged separately so diners can create their own preferred combinations.

Whether you’re biting into them while sipping beer or eating them as a pizza topping, hormigas culonas (big butt ants) are a beloved, crunchy treat in Colombia. These oversized, queen ants resembling cockroaches, are roasted and snacked on in bars like peanuts though their flavor is more complex like pork rinds with an earthy, bitter edge. Coveted by locals and gourmands alike, big-bottomed ants are harvested during their mating season in the Santander region when they emerge from their underground colonies and they’re mighty pricey, fetching up to ten times more than Colombia’s renowned coffee beans.

Often touted as the Dominican Republic’s answer to sangria, mamajuana is a herb-infused DIY cocktail that, depending on who you ask, cures the flu, boosts your libido, aids circulation, or simply provides a solid excuse to keep the party going.

Ingredients include hibiscus petals, honey, ginger, red wine, high-proof rum, wood chips, cat’s claw, and sea turtle’s penis. The longer the herbs and spices sit, the more the flavors meld into something like a cross between a digestif and a potent dessert that transforms even the meekest imbiber into a hip-swaying bachata sensation. Due to its reputation as an aphrodisiac, the drink was banned under the dictator Rafael Trujillo and has a reputation for inviting mischief.

Peru gave the world ceviche and pisco. The South American Andean nation has many internationally celebrated plates as well as under-the-radar local specialties like cau cau, a yellow cow stomach sauce, chupe de camarones (river shrimp chowder), and picarones, a fried yam or sweet potato doughnut-covered in sugarcane syrup.

Another treat that’s beloved mainly within Peruvian borders is queso helado (frozen cheese). With a name as deceptive as it is delicious, it contains not one shred of actual cheese. This iconic treat from Arequipa is an ice cream of sorts, made with a blend of cinnamon, desiccated coconut, vanilla, cloves, and a variety of milks. Make this your refreshing confection of choice when traveling in Peru’s second city.

Despite the name, sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan soup) isn’t a soup. It’s a rich, dense cornbread loaded with cheese and onions. As the story goes, this national treasure was born from a kitchen mishap. Purportedly, back in the 1800s President Carlos Antonio López had a hankering for corn soup. In a moment of culinary chaos, his chef mistakenly dumped cornmeal into what was supposed to be a white soup. With no time for a redo, the “soup” was served solid anyway, and the president fell head over heels for it, christening it sopa Paraguaya. Others claim the dish has deeper roots, tied to the Cario-Guaraní people, Paraguay’s indigenous community, who were making their own version of cornbread long before López was around.