Note: Each street food is paired with the respective country or other region it's most popular in. I understand that some of these foods exist (and are very popular in) multiple Latin American countries, so if you want to be the one to claim it as your own, be my guest.
1. Picarones — Peru
Picarones look a lot like donuts, but these fried beauties are made with a dough that includes butternut squash and sweet potato. They're also served with a chancaca syrup, which is a sweet sauce made of unrefined sugar (like piloncillo).
2. Baleadas — Honduras
A baleada consists of a single large, handmade flour tortilla that can be filled with many different things. One common combo is refried beans, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and queso fresco.
3. Coxinha — Brazil
A coxinha is a teardrop-shaped chicken croquette that has a dough made from chicken broth. The filling has shredded chicken, cream cheese, and Brazilian sofrito (or onion/garlic). The entire thing is then covered in bread crumbs and fried.
4. Elote — Mexico
Elote, which is Spanish for "corn," is a corn on the cob that is either grilled or boiled and then typically slathered with melted butter, mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice.
5. Alcapurrias — Puerto Rico
Alcapurria is a fried treat that is typically stuffed with picadillo, which is a meat filling made with ground beef, adobo, tomato sauce, sofrito, and other ingredients. The dough of the alcapurria is made using a mixture of white yautía root, plantains, green bananas, as well as some seasonings.
6. Chipa — Paraguay
Chipas are a bagel-shaped cheese bread that is made using both cassava and corn flour as well as Paraguayan cheese.
7. Pupusas (of Any Kind) — El Salvador
Pupusas are a very popular meal in which a masa harina dough is stuffed with many different things, like refried beans, cheese, or chicharrón, and then pan-fried. They're often served with curtido, which is a fermented cabbage slaw.
8. Mote Con Huesillos — Chile
Mote con huesillos is a popular summer drink made by rehydrating dried peaches with water, cooking sugar until it's caramelized in a different pot, pouring the peaches and some of their water into the pot of caramelized sugar, and then adding cinnamon sticks to the mix. Once chilled, cooked wheat berries (or barley) are added to the bottom of a glass and the dried peach–sugar drink is then poured on top.
9. Oblea — Colombia
Obleas are a sweet treat that consists of two large, round wafers typically stuffed with dulce de leche and queso costeño. They can also be filled with condensed milk, sprinkles, jams, etc.
10. Arepas Venezolanas — Venezuela
Arepas are round corn cakes that can be filled with cheese, meats, avocado, or beans. The dough is made using precooked cornmeal, and they're cooked on a flat griddle.
11. Espumillas — Ecuador
Though it looks like ice cream at first glance, an espumilla is actually a soft meringue that is mixed with fruit. You'll often find it served in an ice cream cone, giving it that cute ice cream look.
12. Quesillo — Nicaragua
Nicaraguan quesillos consist of melted cheese, pickled onions, and crema on a corn tortilla. They're often served inside plastic bags to prevent any of that deliciousness from falling out.
13. Carimañolas — Panama
Carimañolas are yuca fritters that are stuffed with meat or cheese and fried. The dough is made by mashing yuca in with the usual flour, eggs, and butter.
14. Choripán — Argentina
The choripán is a sandwich that consists of a single split roll that contains a chorizo sausage link and chimichurri.
15. Salteñas — Bolivia
Salteñas are baked empanadas that typically have some sort of meat filling. They have a braided seam, and their distinct color is given to them by the achiote in the dough.
16. Mixtas — Guatemala
To put it simply, mixtas are hot dogs on a corn tortilla. They often come topped with ketchup, mayo, guacamole, and cabbage.
17. Garrapiñadas — Uruguay
Garrapiñadas, which are popular in several Latin American countries, are caramelized peanuts (and sometimes almonds). They're made by cooking peanuts, sugar, water, and vanilla extract together.
18. Yaroa — the Dominican Republic
Popular in the city of Santiago, yaroa is loaded fries (or loaded mashed ripe plantains) topped with chopped meat, ketchup, and mayo.
19. Pate Kòde — Haiti
Pate kòde are fried patties that look similar to empanadas. They're typically stuffed with herring fish by street vendors, but — like empanadas — they, too, have limitless potential based on what you choose to put in them.
20. Copos — Costa Rica
Copos, also known as granizados, are a shaved ice treat that often has cola syrup, powdered milk, and condensed milk. Some vendors may add things like fruit, marshmallows, and whipped cream to the cup too.
21. Cuban Pizza — Cuba
Cuban pizzas differ in that the dough is fluffier than traditional pizza, and the cheese is often gouda mixed with mozzarella. If the pizza is small enough, it is also eaten folded in half, much like a taco.
22. Salbutes — Belize
Salbutes are puffy, fried corn tortillas that can be topped with a meat of your choosing, avocado, cabbage, or whatever else you would llike.
