What to Eat in Asunción: Sopa Paraguaya, Chipa, Vori Vori and Surubí

Paraguayan gastronomy is one of the most distinctive culinary traditions in South America, shaped by the centuries-old meeting of Guaraní agricultural staples, specifically native white corn (avatí), cassava (mandioca), peanuts, squash, and freshwater river fish, with Spanish dairy cattle, cheese, onions, pork fat, and eggs introduced after 1537. Because cornmeal and cassava starch take the place of wheat flour in almost every recipe, the vast majority of traditional dishes in Asunción are naturally gluten-free.

Sopa Paraguaya and Chipa Guasu: The Twin Cornbread Classics

The first culinary surprise for every visitor to Asunción is that sopa paraguaya ("Paraguayan soup") is not a liquid soup at all, but a rich, savoury baked cornbread. Prepared from finely ground white cornmeal, abundant fresh queso Paraguay (a soft, slightly tangy cows'-milk cheese), slow-cooked onions, milk, eggs, and butter or pork fat, it is baked in a brick clay oven (tatakua) until golden brown outside and moist within. Its close companion on every Sunday and steakhouse table is chipa guasu ("big chipa"), which blends fresh tender corn kernels with cheese, onion, eggs, and cream into a lighter, spoonable corn soufflé.

Chipa Almidón and Mbejú: Cassava Starch Staples for Every Hour

Across the streets of the Historic Centre and at highway stops along the road to Lake Ypacaraí, women balancing cloth-lined wicker baskets on their heads (chiperas) sell warm rings of chipa almidón. Kneaded from cassava starch, aged Paraguayan cheese, eggs, lard, orange juice or milk, and a fragrant pinch of aniseed, chipa bakes at high heat into a golden ring or crescent with a crisp crust and a chewy, cheese-scented interior. Equally beloved for breakfast or late-afternoon merienda with cocido (caramelised hot yerba mate with milk) is mbejú, a crumbly skillet flatbread of moistened cassava starch and melted strings of fresh white cheese toasted dry in a hot pan.

Vori Vori and Surubí from the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers

When Paraguayans want a true bowl of hot soup, they order vori vori (also spelled borí borí), repeatedly acclaimed among the world's finest traditional soups. The dish consists of a golden broth seasoned with onion, bell pepper, tomato, and oregano (most famously simmered with free-range chicken as vori vori de gallina casera) filled with tender handmade balls rolled from fine cornmeal and crumbled Paraguayan cheese that cook gently in the broth without falling apart.

River Fish, Mandioca, Street Empanadas, and Sweet Guava Desserts

• Surubí, Pacú, and Dorado: Caught in the Paraguay and Paraná rivers, spotted surubí catfish is prized for its firm, boneless white steaks. In historic downtown counters and Villa Morra restaurants, order it grilled over hardwood charcoal, simmered in a rich tomato, onion, and cream stew (chupín de surubí), or ladled into a steaming fish soup (caldo de surubí).
• Pastel Mandi'o and Payaguá Mascada: At street stalls, try pastel mandi'o (cassava-dough beef empanadas) and payaguá mascada, served alongside boiled mandioca.
• Kivevé and Koserevá: Finish with kivevé (velvety pumpkin purée with cornmeal and cheese) or koserevá (Seville orange rinds candied in dark sugarcane molasses).