Paraguayan Gastronomy: Traditional Dishes to Discover

Forget everything you think you know about South American cuisine. Paraguay has a unique gastronomic identity — forged by a blend of Guaraní traditions and Spanish colonial heritage, with simple ingredients elevated by ancestral techniques. Corn, cassava, cheese, beef, and yerba mate are the pillars of a comforting, generous cuisine deeply rooted in the country's culture.

And yet, Paraguayan gastronomy remains one of the continent's least known. No worldwide fame like Peruvian or Argentine cuisine. No Michelin-starred restaurants making international headlines. Just honest, flavorful, and deeply authentic dishes that will accompany you daily in your new life. This guide takes you on a journey to discover the traditional dishes of Paraguay — the ones you'll be eating every week once you've settled in.

The Basic Ingredients: The Fundamental Trio

Corn (maíz / avatí)

Corn is the king ingredient of Paraguayan cuisine. It appears in all forms: corn flour (harina de maíz), semolina (polenta), fresh corn (choclo), grilled corn, and fermented corn. Corn flour is the base for sopa paraguaya, bori-bori, empanadas, and dozens of other dishes. If you like corn, you're in the right place. If you don't like it yet, Paraguay will convert you.

Cassava (mandioca)

Cassava (mandioca in Spanish, mandi'o in Guaraní) is the universal accompaniment to Paraguayan cuisine — the equivalent of bread in France or rice in Asia. It is served boiled, fried, mashed, in flatbreads (mbejú), or processed into starch (almidón) which forms the base of many recipes. Every meal in Paraguay includes mandioca in one form or another. European expats quickly adopt it — it's mild, neutral in taste, and perfect for accompanying grilled meats.

Cheese (queso paraguayo)

Queso paraguayo is a fresh, white, slightly salty, and melting cheese. It is produced traditionally throughout the country and is found in a multitude of dishes: sopa paraguaya, chipa, mbejú, empanadas. It's not a sophisticated aged cheese like Comté or Roquefort — it's a simple, versatile, and addictive cheese that adds character to every dish. French expats, despite their demanding taste in cheese, usually develop a sincere affection for queso paraguayo.

Iconic Dishes

Sopa paraguaya: The national dish (which isn't a soup)

Sopa paraguaya is THE national dish of Paraguay. And its first peculiarity is its name: it's a "soup" that isn't liquid. Legend has it that a cook for President Carlos Antonio López added too much corn flour to a soup, resulting in a solid dish that the president loved — and the name "soup" stuck.

In reality, sopa paraguaya is a dense and moist savory cake, baked in the oven, made from corn flour, eggs, queso paraguayo, chopped onions sautéed in lard, and milk. The result is a golden rectangle, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich corn and cheese flavor.

Sopa paraguaya is ubiquitous: it accompanies every Sunday asado, every family celebration, every social event. It's the dish of comfort, national pride, and conviviality. You can find it in restaurants, bakeries, markets, and in every Paraguayan kitchen. Taste it in your first week — it's the best way to start your gastronomic integration.

Chipa: The cheese bread that will follow you everywhere

Chipa is Paraguay's national snack — small round (or crescent-shaped) breads made from cassava starch (almidón), eggs, queso paraguayo, and sometimes anise. Baked in a traditional wood-fired oven (tatakua), they are crispy on the outside and soft-elastic on the inside — a unique texture you won't find anywhere else.

Chipa is everywhere in Paraguay: sold by street vendors at traffic lights, on intercity buses, at gas stations, in bakeries, at markets, and at every family or professional gathering. The classic Paraguayan breakfast is a chipa with a cocido (hot drink made from roasted mate) — simple, quick, and delicious.

The variant chipa guasú (large chipa) is a gratin of fresh corn (choclo) with eggs and cheese, baked in the oven. It's the "main course" version of chipa — more substantial, often served as an accompaniment to asado.

Mbejú: The cassava pancake

Mbejú (pronounced "mbéjou") is a thin pancake made from cassava starch and queso paraguayo, cooked in a pan with lard or butter. The result: a crispy and melting pancake, slightly elastic, with a subtle cheese flavor. It's a favorite breakfast or snack for many Paraguayans — and a must-try for expats discovering this brilliantly simple dish.

Mbejú is eaten hot, straight from the pan. It perfectly accompanies an afternoon tereré or a morning cocido. Street vendors sell them on roadsides and in markets — you'll spot them by the irresistible smell of grilled cheese.

Asado: The king of Sunday

Asado is not just a barbecue — it's a social ritual, an institution, and a way of life, as detailed in our guide to Paraguayan culture. Paraguayan beef is of exceptional quality — Paraguay is one of the largest livestock countries in the world, with a herd of over 13 million head for 7.5 million inhabitants.

Asado is prepared over wood embers (leña) — never industrial charcoal or gas. The most popular cuts:

• Costilla (beef ribs): the star of the asado, slow-cooked for 2 to 3 hours
• Vacío (flank steak): tender and flavorful cut
• Punta de lomo (sirloin tip): the noble, tender, and juicy cut
• Chorizo (sausage): always present as an appetizer, before the main meat
• Morcilla (blood sausage): for enthusiasts

Everything is accompanied by sopa paraguaya, boiled mandioca, simple salads (tomato, onion, lettuce), and washed down with cold beer. Asado is the number one gastronomic and social experience in Paraguay — you'll have one a week once you're settled.

Bori-bori: The comfort soup

Bori-bori is a thick chicken soup (or sometimes beef) with corn flour and cheese dumplings. The name comes from Guaraní and refers to the small dough balls floating in the broth. It's the ultimate winter dish — when temperatures drop to 10-15°C in Asunción (see our climate guide), a steaming bowl of bori-bori is the best remedy for the relative cold.

Empanadas: The universal snack

Paraguayan empanadas are stuffed pastries, baked or fried, with various fillings:

• Empanada de carne: ground beef, onions, peppers, hard-boiled egg
• Empanada de pollo: shredded chicken, onions, spices
• Empanada de jamón y queso: ham and cheese — the "quick" version
• Empanada de choclo: creamy fresh corn — the popular vegetarian version

Empanadas are found in every bakery, supermarket, and street corner. At 0.50-1 USD each, it's the most economical and satisfying snack in Paraguay.

Payagua mascada: The meat fritter

Payagua mascada is a fried patty made from cassava and ground meat — crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. It's a street food dish you'll find in markets and from street vendors. The name refers to the Payaguá, an indigenous people of the Paraguay River. It's an addictive snack — beware, you might not be able to stop.

Milanesa: The Argentine legacy

Milanesa (breaded cutlet) is a dish inherited from Argentine and Italian influence. In Paraguay, it comes as beef, chicken, or pork milanesa, served with mandioca, fries, or salad. The milanesa a la napolitana (topped with tomato sauce, ham, and gratinated cheese) is a classic in popular restaurants. It's the quintessential everyday dish — hearty, inexpensive, and universally appreciated.

Soyo: The ancestral meat broth

Soyo is a thick broth of minced beef (or pounded in a mortar, in the traditional version) with tomatoes, onions, and spices. It's an ancestral Guaraní dish, considered fortifying and nutritious. It is often served as a starter or as a home remedy when sick — the Paraguayan "grandmother's broth."

Essential Accompaniments

Mandioca hervida (boiled cassava)

The base of every meal. Boiled cassava replaces bread on the Paraguayan table — white, tender, with a floury and mild texture. It is dipped in meat sauce, eaten plain alongside grilled chorizo, or nibbled between bites of empanada. Learn to love it — you'll eat it every day.

Mandioca frita (fried cassava)

Fried cassava is the Paraguayan equivalent of fries — but better. Cut into sticks and deep-fried, it becomes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It's the ideal accompaniment to asado and the local alternative to potato fries. Many European expats confess to preferring mandioca frita to classic fries after a few months in Paraguay.

Ensalada (salads)

Paraguayan salads are simple: tomato, onion, lettuce, sometimes cucumber and bell pepper, seasoned with oil and vinegar. No sophisticated vinaigrette or organic mesclun — just fresh vegetables and basic seasoning. It's the fresh and light counterpoint to Paraguayan cuisine, dominated by starches and meats.

Traditional Drinks

Tereré: The national drink

Tereré — yerba mate infused in iced water, served in a guampa with a bombilla — is much more than a drink. It's a daily social ritual, detailed in our guide to Paraguayan culture. You'll drink it every afternoon, shared with colleagues, neighbors, or friends. Medicinal herbs added to the water (yuyos) vary according to taste and season: mint (menta'i), lemongrass (cedrón), boldo for digestion.

Mate caliente: The winter version

In winter (June-August), Paraguayans switch from iced tereré to mate caliente — same principle, hot water. The taste is more bitter and intense than tereré. It's the drink for mornings and cool days.

Cocido: Paraguayan coffee

Cocido is a hot drink made from roasted yerba mate (toasted with sugar), mixed with hot milk and sugar. The result resembles café au lait but with a distinct taste — smoky, caramelized, and comforting. It's the traditional breakfast for Paraguayans, often accompanied by a chipa or mbejú.

Caña paraguaya: The local brandy

Caña is a sugarcane brandy — strong (35-45°) and rustic. The version flavored with medicinal herbs (caña con ruda, caña con miel) is traditionally consumed on August 1st to ward off winter's evil spirits. It's a ritual every expat in Paraguay experiences at least once — a shot of caña con ruda on an empty stomach on the morning of August 1st, to start the month of luck.

Local beers

Paraguay produces its own light and refreshing beers — perfect for summer asados:

• Pilsen: Paraguay's most popular beer — blonde, light, ubiquitous
• Brahma: Brazilian beer very present in Paraguay
• Bock: a local beer slightly stronger than Pilsen
• Munich: premium local beer

Prices are unbeatable: a bottled beer in the supermarket costs 0.80 to 1.50 USD. In a restaurant, expect 2 to 4 USD. Compared to 6 to 8 € for a pint in Paris, the beer budget in Paraguay is a non-issue — one detail among many of the cost of living in Paraguay.

Sweets and Desserts

Dulce de leche: South American caramel

Dulce de leche — caramelized milk jam — is omnipresent in Paraguayan desserts (and throughout South America). It's spread on bread, put in cakes, eaten by the spoon. It's the local Nutella — only better.

Kosereva: The bitter orange delicacy

Kosereva (or ka'í ladrillo) is a jam of bitter orange peels cooked in sugar and black molasses — an ancestral Guaraní dessert, black like charcoal and intensely fragrant. It's an acquired taste that divides expats — some love it, others don't. Try it at least once.

Mbaipy he'ê: Sweet corn cream

Mbaipy he'ê is a sweet cream made from corn flour, milk, and sugar — the Paraguayan equivalent of semolina pudding, but with corn. Served hot or cold, it's a simple and comforting dessert.

Where to Eat in Paraguay: Different Experiences

Restaurants in Asunción

Asunción is experiencing a gastronomic boom, as mentioned in our neighborhood guide. The neighborhoods of Villa Morra, Carmelitas, and Paseo La Galería concentrate the best restaurants — from traditional parrilla (grill) to modern fusion restaurants. Prices are affordable: dinner for two in a good restaurant costs 25 to 50 USD — the price of a single dish in an average Parisian restaurant.

Markets (mercados)

Markets are the beating heart of popular Paraguayan gastronomy. Mercado 4 in Asunción is the city's largest market — chaotic, noisy, colorful, and fascinating. You'll find everything: meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, spices, cheeses, fresh chipas, empanadas, jugos (fresh fruit juices), and prepared meals to go for 2 to 5 USD. It's the most authentic — and most economical — gastronomic experience in Paraguay.

Food trucks and street food

Paraguayan street food is abundant and inexpensive: chipas at traffic lights, empanadas at kiosks, lomitos (grilled meat sandwiches) from food trucks, mandioca frita at markets. For 1 to 3 USD, you get a hearty and delicious snack. It's raw Paraguay — unpretentious and full of flavor.

Private asados

The ultimate gastronomic experience in Paraguay is not in a restaurant — it's at someone's home. The Sunday asado with family or friends, in a garden or on the terrace of a condominio, is the most important gastronomic and social moment of the week. If you're invited, you'll discover a generosity and quality of meat that even the best restaurant cannot replicate.

Conclusion: Eat Paraguayan, Live Paraguayan

Paraguayan gastronomy is not the most refined in the world — it doesn't have the sophistication of French cuisine or the diversity of Peruvian cuisine. But it has something more precious: authenticity. Every dish tells a story — that of Guaraní corn and cassava, that of estancia meat, that of artisanal cheese from the countryside. To eat Paraguayan is to enter the country's culture through the most direct and pleasant door.

And the prices are an added gift. A full lunch at the market for 3 USD. A Sunday asado for 10 USD of premium meat. Chipas for 0.30 USD each. Gastronomy in Paraguay is not an expense item — it's a daily pleasure accessible to all budgets.

Taste sopa paraguaya in your first week. Adopt tereré on your first afternoon. Say yes to the next asado you're invited to. And let Paraguay conquer your palate — it won't disappoint you.

Ready to experience Paraguay with all your senses? Contact our team to organize your relocation — tax residency, accommodation, services, and your first welcome asado.