What are the 12 dishes from Latin America that are among the most popular in the world?

(CNN Spanish) – There is no doubt: gastronomy in Latin America is one of the best in the world. Each country in the region has representative and unique dishes.

However, only a few are popular, according to the gastronomy website TasteAtlas.

According to the listing ‘Top 100 MOST POPULAR DISHES in the world‘from TasteAtlas, which was updated in April 2021, there are 12 dishes from Latin America among the most popular in the world.

TasteAtlas has reviewed more than 10,000 foods and drinks. Of these, website users vote for what they consider to be the most popular.

There are dishes from all the continents in the 100 places of the list of the most popular. Which are the Latinos that stood out? Here we leave them for you.

12. Barbecue

“Barbecue is a term that is mostly associated with Mexico and refers to an ancient technique of cooking meat in underground ovens,” says TasteAtlas.

It ranked 89th in the world ranking of the most popular dishes. Therefore, it is number 12 in Latin America.

11. Cakes

Another dish from Mexico. Perhaps you have ever heard of him for the typical ham cake from Chavo del 8. In the TasteAtlas list, he ranks 84th and 11th in Latin America.

“Mexican tortas are delicious traditional sandwiches filled with (…) Mexican ingredients. They are a unique Mexican creation, taking into account that they are served in breads (either bolillos or teleras, both typical of the country), ”the website states.

10. Mole

«Mole is a combination of rich Mexican sauces and one of the country’s national dishes. As a base, it usually contains Mexican chilies that are ground in molcajete – a traditional stone mortar. Other ingredients can vary, so the moles can contain vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, nuts, seeds, cornmeal, bread and even chocolate, which adds earthy notes to the hottest ingredients, ”explains TasteAtlas.

This dish, which is usually served with chicken and rice, is ranked 66 among the most popular dishes in the world and tenth in the region.

9. Churrasco

“Churrasco is a Brazilian barbecue method in which juicy pieces, slices, fillets and chops of beef, lamb, pork and chicken are placed on large skewers and roasted over a wood fire,” explains TasteAtlas.

It is the first of the dishes that is not from Mexico. It is ranked 63rd worldwide and ninth in Latin America.

8. Ceviche

“Ceviche is Peru’s national dish, consisting of slices of raw fish or shellfish that are seasoned with salt, onion, and chili peppers, and then marinated in lemon juice. Due to the acidity of the juice, the texture of the fish changes, as does its color: from pink to white ”, describes TasteAtlas.

The dish from Peru, according to voters on the website, was placed at number 58 of the 100 most popular in the world. In the region, it is number eight.

7. Guacamole

“Guacamole is a world-famous dish that dates back to the 16th century Mexica empire. It is a mix of mashed ripe avocados (called avocados in other areas of the region), onions, chili peppers, optionally green tomato, and select seasonings such as sea salt and coriander, ”explains Taste Atlas.

This dish, which has become very popular in the United States for events like the Super Bowl, is in 56th place worldwide and seventh in Latin America.

6. Quesadilla

«The quesadilla is a simple Mexican appetizer that consists of a flour or corn tortilla filled with melted cheese. It is usually folded in half and consumed. A quesadilla can also have some other ingredient inside it, such as meat, beans or potatoes, but cheese is always mandatory (with the exception of quesadillas in Mexico City, where cheese can only be additional) », details the site of gastronomy.

Another Mexican dish. This is in the 52nd place of the most popular dishes in the world and in the sixth place in Latin America.

5. Tamale

«The tamale is a Mexican dish that dates back to the Mexica and that consists of a corn dough with a filling that can be salty or sweet, steamed and wrapped in corn leaves, leaves of some plants or also banana leaves . Tamales are traditionally accompanied by atole, a dough drink, ”describes TasteAtlas.

The list is dominated in popularity by dishes from Mexico. In this case, the tamale ranks 43rd worldwide and fifth in the region.

4. Burrito

«The burrito is a dish that consists of a wheat flour tortilla that is wrapped in such a way that it is possible to completely enclose the filling inside. The filling consists of a combination of various ingredients such as meat, beans, rice, lettuce, guacamole and cheese, among others, ”writes TasteAtlas.

This Mexican dish emerged in northern Mexico, probably in the 19th century, the site adds. It is ranked 42nd worldwide and fourth in the Latin American region.

3. Nachos

If you know guacamole, it is very likely that you have ever served it with nachos, a dish that is ranked third in popularity in Latin American foods and 36th worldwide.

“The original first plate of nachos, consisting of tortilla chips, melted cheese and jalapeños, was prepared for a group of wives of military officers in 1943 in Piedras Negras (Mexico),” details TasteAtlas.

2. Tortillas

“The tortilla, originally a corn flatbread, is one of the essential varieties of bread that has been present in Mexican culture for thousands of years. The first tortilla was created from the basic ingredient of indigenous cultures: corn, ”says TasteAtlas.

They are used for tacos and nachos, for example, two of the dishes in the top 12 in Latin America. Tortillas are ranked number nine in the world and two in the region.

1. Tacos

And if tortillas were number two in popularity in Latin America, tacos took number one on the list, which in the region was dominated by Mexico.

How does this gastronomy website define tacos?

“Tacos are the national dish of Mexico, dating back to the Mexican silver mines of the 18th century when the word taco referred to gunpowder that was wrapped in a piece of paper and pushed into the rocks. It was used to extract the precious mineral from the mines and were called miner’s tacos. Nowadays, the word is widely known to designate the main street and fast food in Mexico: tortillas (…) with numerous fillings, folded and that can be eaten without any utensil ”, he explains.