South America

Argentina is famous for it's steak. Rightly so, the beef is very good. The portions are also very large. So if you like red meat you will be in heaven!

We visited Buenos Aires, Patagonia and Iguazu waterfalls on the border with Brazil and steak was available everywhere. In Patagonia they have a lot of sheep farming and so lamb was also an option. The meat is normally cooked on a grill, ideally cooked over coals.

Something which had us confused... On menus you will see bife de chorizo, this is nothing to do with the spanish paprika sausage, but is the name for sirloin steak.

In general the steaks come plain, so you don't need to worry too much about butter. A common condiment is chimichurri which is made of olive oil, parsley and garlic. Great for dairy-free! (but be careful if you avoid garlic).

A famous dish in Peru is cerviche, which happens to be dairy and egg-free. This is raw fish prepared with lime juice which 'cooks' it.

As well as seafood you can try different meats in Peru such as alpaca and (upsettingly for me), guinea pig.

There is a Chinese influence in Peru and Chinese food is popular. One common fusion dish is Lomo Saltado: steak stir-fried with onion, tomatoes, spices, soy sauce and (strangely) chips. It's served with rice.

A popular dish in Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto which is rice with beans. This can be served for all meals of the day (including breakfast) and comes with various sides, my favourite was fried plantain.

There are lots of tourists visiting Costa Rica for the beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife encounters. You can therefore get a wide range of food in the restaurants, especially in the popular tourist sites, although a word of warning - eating out is quite expensive here! We ate plenty of fish, and pork dishes seemed to be common. Not forgetting that since it's a tropical country, the fresh fruit is delicious!