Salteñas—Bolivia's Best Kept Secret

One of the best features of Bolivian cuisine is the salteña—a baked empenada filled with a savory chicken or beef stew. Bolivians from all walks of life eat these as mid-morning snacks. They are delicious! We've been eating them several times a week since we got here.


They say that Salteñas originated in Tarija, although they've become a national dish and every city has their own variation. In Santa Cruz for example, the salteñas are huge—eat one and you're full. In Sucre the salteñas are absolutely delicious, the best we've had in Bolivia.


In Tarija, salteñas are served in a variety of places. You can enjoy them in the posh cafes around plaza Luis de Fuentes y Vargas, on the street handmade by food vendors (you can, but I wouldn't recommend it), or in specialty shops called salteñerias. The salteñerias are only open from 9am-noonish, and only serve salteñas and bottled drinks. It's not unusual to walk by a salteñeria around 11am and see office workers, families, schoolkids, and retirees all enjoying them with a coke or fruit juice.


We've yet to try making them on our own... Stay tuned for a future posting on that!