A festival of Latin American cuisine for Hispanic Heritage Month

For Hispanic Heritage Month, make some great Latin food recipes to savor and share. Many folks already enjoy popular Latin American foods and Hispanic cuisine influences. But did you know true, Latin American food roots go deeper? Beyond everyday eats, this Latin dinner table is wider and more inclusive than you might imagine. Its food influences have flowed over time from Central and South America to the Caribbean and Spain, with great musical traditions to liven things up even more.

To get you started on this Hispanic and Latin heritage cuisine celebration, check out a few traditional dishes you can make at home.

An Easy Take on Popular Paella

Latin American cuisine and culture is about sharing great food with friends and family. What better way than around a Paella pan? Here, rice simmers with rich proteins and colorful veggies. It pairs with most meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and spices, highlighting the flavors. Rice is also a common staple in many more dishes across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Paella is originally from Valencia, Spain. There, it’s eaten year-round and in popular festivals like Las Fallas, and La Feria de Julio. It’s a national dish, echoing and yellow national colors. Spanish flamenco music can add even more flair your Paella party. Olé!

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Tasty, Tempting Tacos Al Pastor

Traditional Mexican tacos are a delicious, meaty favorite. This version of Tacos Al Pastor, meaning “shepherd-style tacos” in Spanish, is a popular street food originally from Mexico. Its cooking method copies lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to the Puebla and Mexico City regions.

Tacos Al Pastor are popular at cultural events and street festivals. They’re easily eaten while seated or strolling. Mexico’s most defining cultural music, Mariachi, also livens up street festivals and gatherings. In Puebla, the Danza de los Quetzales is another musical tradition performed at festivals.

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Positively Delicious Pupusas

Original from El Salvador, this Latin comfort food is easy to crave. Pupusas are round corn tortilla pockets stuffed with pork, cheese, or beans. They are the national dish in El Salvador, where they celebrate National Pupusas Day in November along with Xuc dancing and other native folk dances. Accompanying musical influences include Native American flute and drums, African xylophone, European guitars, and the Arab oud guitar.

This delicious stuffed corn pocket is a favorite and traditional Salvadorian food. Serve your pupusas steaming hot and top them with a special red sauce, or salsa roja, for an added burst of flavor.

Bite Into This Pupusa Recipe ›

Keto-Friendly, Low-Carb Tres Leches Cake Jars

Keto friendly? Low carb? Cake Jars? Yes to all, please. This tantalizing Tres Leches recipe brings all the sweetness and none of the guilt. It’s a way to have it all: celebration, food, and shared happiness.

This Keto-friendly Tres Leches Cake Jar recipe lets you savor the special taste of moist sponge cake with sweet milk and cream. Celebrations with this cake will leave you feeling light enough to dance any classic Mexican tune. This recipe blends old and new to delight all tastes.

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Easy Tres Leches Sponge Cake Dessert

This is a traditional yet easy dessert you won’t want to miss. Tres Leches cake most likely started in Mexico, then spread in popularity to nearby Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, Honduras, and many more countries in Latin America. It’s clear to see why.

Tres Leches is a popular celebration cake in many Latin American regions. It’s a staple treat for holidays, festivals, and cultural events. Across Mexico and Latin America, birthdays, graduations, and weddings serve decadent Tres Leches cake to mark sweet, special occasions. Popular Mexican Mariachi music and classic folk dancing festively go along with this beloved, moist, sponge cake dessert.

Make this Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe ›

The Anytime Churros with Chocolate Snack

Travel back to the Iberian Peninsula of Spain and Portugal for the Latin American roots of Churros. This fried dough dessert snack is dipped in a hot chocolate milk reduction, thick enough to be slowly sipped or just spooned out of a cup. In Madrid you can enjoy churros at annual festivals with Chotis dances or just listening to classic Spanish Zarzuela operettas.

Across the pond in Brazil, the churro is filled with a milk caramel sauce, or ‘doce de leite’ in Portuguese – known as ‘dulce de leche’ in Spanish. Taste and see why this treat quickly became a local favorite everywhere. Churros and chocolate dipping sauce are common snacks at carnivals, festivals, celebrations, and popular events in Latin America.

Go For This Churros with Chocolate Recipe ›

Join the Large, Growing Latin American Food Table!

This Hispanic Heritage month, gather family and friends to celebrate great food and fun in Latin style. Pull up a chair to try these and many more Latin dishes with gusto. Explore flavorful Latin and Hispanic heritage food and musical traditions. Good food deserves good music, after all! Honor these deep, multicultural Latin American cuisine roots by gathering, sharing, and eating well. Buen provecho. Enjoy!