Latin American Ingredient Glossary
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: May 17, 2011

When experimenting with a new cuisine, we are often confronted with ingredients that we are unfamiliar with.  Moreover, depending on where you live, those ingredients will be more or less accessible.  A well written cookbook or recipe will include a description or glossary of typical ingredients of a particular cuisine.  For those who don’t (naughty, naughty), I have compiled a list of Latin American products you are most likely to see in a recipe from that region of the world.  Hope this helps!
Achiote: Brick-red seeds with a mildly acidic, earthy flavor.  The seeds give foods a yellowish tint.
Adobo: Marinade usually made with vinegar, garlic, onions, and oregano. Dry adobos are spice rubs for meat, fish or poultry.
Aji: A Peruvian hot pepper, commonly ground into powder and have a distinctive, spicy-fruity flavor.
Bacalao: Dried salt cod that is popular throughout Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
Boniato: A tuber also known as white sweet potato or camote. It looks like a sweet potato, but is shorter and rounder with a white, slightly sweet and mealy flesh.
Calabaza: A large, round, sweet squash.  It resembles a pumpkin in size and color.
Canela: Cinnamon.
Chipotle Pepper: Smoked jalapeno chile. Available canned in an adobo sauce and dried.
Chorizo: Spicy pork sausage. Mexican chorizo uses fresh pork; Spanish chorizo uses smoked pork.
Cotija: A Mexican cheese also known as Queso Anejado or "aged cheese." This cheese is salty and a bit pungent with a texture similar to Feta. It is crumbled on top of tacos, soups, salads or over beans.
Dulce de Leche: Caramel sauce or candy.
Feijoa: A subtropical fruit native to the grasslands of southern Brazil and part of Paraguay and Uruguay. A close relative of the guava, it has an oval shape, thin green skin and semi-soft, juicy, cream-colored flesh with a sweet, aromatic flavor.
Guava: Subtropical fruit with green skin and sweet, pink flesh.  It can also be found as a paste that is often paired with cheese.
Jicama: A large crispy root vegetable that is good both raw and lightly cooked.
Manteca: Lard.
Maracuyá: Also called passion fruit. A small round fruit with brown skin and bright orange flesh.  The pulp is extremely tart so sugar is often added.
Masa Harina: Flour made from dried masa (ground and dried corn) that is used for tamales.
Malanga: An edible tuber with rough brown skin and cream-colored flesh.
Mojo: A flavorful sauce usually containing at least olive oil, garlic and citrus, plus a mixture of cumin, paprika and other spices.
Nopales: Edible Mexican cacti also know as prickly pear. The leaves are usually boiled and cut into small pieces.
Plantains (Platanos): A member of the banana family that is always cooked. The fruit has a sweet, banana-like flavor and a brownish-black skin when ripe. It can be served either savory or sweet. .
Queso Fresco Blanco (Fresh White Cheese): Salty, firm, white cheese similar to mozzarella or queso Oaxaca.
Sazon: A seasoned salt mixture that often includes cilantro, achiote and garlic.
Sofrito: Mixture of sautéed vegetables, usually including onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, herbs and spices. Sofritos are the foundation for many stews and meat dishes.
Tomatillos: Also called the "Mexican green tomato," this member of the nightshade family is related to the gooseberry. The tomatillo's papery husk should be removed before using.
Yucca: Also known as manioc or cassava, this white, starchy tropical vegetable was originally grown by the indigenous peoples of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. It can be served boiled or fried.