Salteñas

Salteñas is the name of Bolivia's national dish, which consists of crescent-shaped, filled pockets of dough. The name comes from the first known baker of these delicacies, who was born in Salta but later exiled to Potosí.

Salteñas, which are oven-baked and filled with meat (usually chicken or beef), are commonly served for breakfast or as a midday snack. Because of the crushed seeds of the adobo bush, as well as added spices such as cumin and oregano, the sweet pastry and its braided crust have a unique color and flavor that is essential to authentic Bolivian Salteñas, known as achiote spice. They are frequently filled with a spicy and sweetish broth made from yellow peppers, as well as chicken, vegetables, potatoes, olives, and a few hard-boiled eggs.

Salteñas are a little difficult to make because they require special skills, but practice makes perfect, and the sweet smell of freshly baked Salteñas is always worth the effort.