Chipa has a special place in Semana Santa, when families bake and share the cheese breads with friends and relatives. For a broader celebration menu, pair sopa paraguaya with an asado or serve mbejú warm from the griddle. These everyday favorites are menu ideas for gathering around the table, rather than foods reserved for one holiday.
Chipa
Cassava-starch cheese bread baked and shared with family and friends during Holy Week.
Explore Chipa →More Paraguayan Dishes for Your Table
Sopa Paraguaya
Savory cheese-and-onion cornbread to serve beside a family feast.
Read the guide →
Mbejú
A cheesy cassava-starch griddle cake for a warm, shareable side.
Read the guide →
Asado
The communal barbecue tradition: a centerpiece for a gathering.
Read the guide →
Pira Caldo
A fish soup to consider for a meat-free celebration menu.
Read the guide →A Guide to Paraguayan Christmas Food
Christmas in Paraguay falls in the middle of summer, so Nochebuena on December 24 is a late meal that often moves outdoors. The table leans on the country’s corn-and-cheese classics, sopa paraguaya and chipa guasu, served with grilled pork or chicken, lengua a la vinagreta (beef tongue in vinaigrette), cold potato and rice salads, and vitel toné, the cold beef-in-tuna-sauce starter Paraguay shares with Argentina.
At midnight, families toast with clericó, a chilled punch of wine and chopped fruit, or with sidra. The season has a scent too: markets fill with flor de coco, the fragrant palm flower Paraguayans hang beside the pesebre, or nativity scene. Stock up with our guide to Paraguayan ingredients, and see how neighbors celebrate in our Latin Christmas foods hub.
