Collection: Paraguay

Hot peppers play a quieter but still meaningful role in Paraguay, where traditional cuisine leans more toward maize, cassava, beef, and dairy than heavy chile heat.

Mild to moderately hot chilies are used mainly to build background flavor in stews and braises rather than to create intense burn, often appearing alongside onions, leeks, and garlic in dishes like guiso popó, a comforting chicken and rice stew.

Fresh and dried peppers, plus simple ground chili flakes, show up in home cooking and parrillada culture to perk up grilled meats, though they are typically applied with restraint compared with neighboring Andean and Mexican cuisines.

This measured use of hot peppers reflects Paraguay’s strong European (especially Spanish and Italian) culinary influence layered onto Guaraní staples, yielding food that is hearty and rich, with chilies as an accent rather than the main event.