Lampreado facts for kids
Lampreado is a delicious fried snack from Paraguay. It's also known as Lambreado or “Payaguá Mascada”. This dish is very nutritious and a popular part of Paraguayan cooking.
The main ingredient in Lampreado is cassava, also called mandioca. Cassava is a root vegetable, a bit like a potato, but it comes from a plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. It's known for its high starch content and can be used to make flour.
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What's in a Name? The Story of Lampreado
The name "Lambreado" is a slightly different way to say "Lampreado." We don't know exactly where the name for this fried cake came from. It's made from cassava (mandioca) and beef.
In Paraguay, people speak both Spanish and Guarani. In parts of Argentina where Guarani is also spoken, this dish is called "payaguá mascada." This name comes from the "Payaguáes," a native tribe that lived in Paraguay long ago, before Europeans arrived.
What Goes Into Lampreado?
There are a few ways to make Lampreado. The most common ingredients are:
Some recipes use pork fat instead of oil. They might also mix raw meat with the cassava starch. These versions are often thought to be tastier, but they can be a bit heavier to digest.
How to Make Lampreado
Making Lampreado is quite simple! Here are the steps:
- First, peel the cassava.
- Then, cook it in salted water until it's soft, but not too mushy.
- Mash the cooked cassava.
- In a pan, fry garlic and onions in a little oil.
- Mix the mashed cassava with the ground beef.
- Add the fried garlic and onions, along with salt and breadcrumbs.
- Shape this mixture into small, flat cakes, like tortillas.
- Finally, fry these "tortillas" in oil until they are golden brown.
To make Lampreado a bit lighter, you can serve it with a fresh mixed vegetable salad.
Interesting Facts About Lampreado
Lampreado can stay fresh for several days. This makes it a great food for travelers or people who work far from home. In the past, shepherds and cattle drivers would take Lampreado with them on long journeys. This food helped them stay full and energized.
In the Misiones area of Paraguay, "Lambreado" is also known as "marinera." Marinera can be made with either beef or chicken.
After the big war in Paraguay (from 1864 to 1870), food became very scarce. Because of this, many traditional Paraguayan dishes, like Lampreado, were made to be very filling and high in protein. This helped people get enough energy when food was hard to find.
Images for kids
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Lampreado, a tasty fried snack from Paraguay.
See also
In Spanish: Lampreado para niños
