Food
Food and water tips in Paraguay
- Bottled or purified water is recommended throughout Paraguay.
- Brushing your teeth with tap water is okay.
- When eating raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit, make sure that you wash them thoroughly andcut off the peel, if possible.
- Avoid eating food from street vendors, especially meat.
- Wash your hands with soap regularly, especially before eating and after working.
Paraguayan people eat a lot of beef meat in their meals. We will be eating with the family and masons and so if team members has any special dietary requirements, please advise us. Also, he or she will need to bring his or her own snacks (protein bars, crackers, cheese sticks etc.) in case she can not eat beef or any other food ingredient.
Also, please have in mind that we are going to have snacks at the site, but sometimes will not have fresh fruits (seasonable) or healthy stuff due to the lack of them and how pricy these items could be since we do not grow them here. That is why we strongly recommend bringing the snacks you would prefer during your time here.
Food Glossary - What you will find in Paraguay
| asado | a barbeque - the favorite meal of Paraguayans. It can include beef, chicken, pork and sausages, or any combination. |
| asado a la estaca | special kind of asado where meat will be placed next to open fire on long wooden sticks. |
| chipa | looks a bit like a bagel, but is made of maize flour and cheese, it is sold as a snack on the streets and in buses. |
| chipa guasú | a bit like soft corn bread, made with tender maize |
| cocido | tea-like drink made by caramelizing yerba leafs with sugar, can be served with or without milk, but normally very sweet. |
| dulce de leche | a sweet spread made out of caramelized milk for putting on bread or used as a filling for sweets. |
| empanada | very common snack with various filling like beef, chicken, ham and cheese or eggs. |
| guiso | meat stew usually cooked with rice. |
| mandioca | aka "mandioc" or "yucca", peeled and boiled it is be served with most meals instead of bread or potatoes. |
| mate | hot brew of yerba leafs, traditionally paraguayans drink mate in winter time and on cold mornings. It is the warm version of tereré and they use a small thermo to carry hot water with them. |
| mbejú | salty pancake made from mandioc flour, maize flour, pork fat and cheese. |
| milanesa | escalope of beef or chicken coated in breadcrumbs and fried, you will find it as a dish or as a fast food in sandwiches. |
| sopa paraguaya | maize cake made from milk, maize flour, pork fat, onion, cheese and eggs. |
| tallarín | what Italiens call tagliatelle, often served with tomato sauce (salsa roja) or cream sauce (salsa blanca). |
| tereré | cold brew of yerba leafs that you will find everytime and everywhere, paraguayans have a culture of sharing their tereré and carry their thermo, guampa and bombilla with them all the time. |
(Food glossary - informations by Margaret Hebblethwaite / Bradt Travel Guide Paraguay)