Central and south american products

Abstract

Food habits in Central and South America are a blend of cultural backgrounds, available foods, cooking styles, and the foods of colonial Europeans. Although Spanish and Portuguese influence is largely documented in Latin American countries, eating habits could be divided into two main characteristic groups: the highland foods of the Andes with a maize based diet and the lowland dishes of southern countries that are major beef producers. The cuisine in the mountain areas is unique in South America, preserving many dishes of the Incas. Even though in Central America and the western areas of South America the consumption of meat and animal products (pork, beef, chicken, fish and eggs) is limited due to their high cost, a wide variety of meat and poultry based products are consumed. In this chapter, a contribution on the meat based foods currently prepared and consumed in Latin America as well as their safety status is presented.