And why Paraguayan food is offered here at AL. Ringling Brewing Company, a brewery and restaurant in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
What is Paraguayan food
Paraguayan food is quite different from American food. In America, you’ll find sweet mixed with salty, and fruit mixed with vegetables. They don’t do that in Paraguay.
Paraguayan recipes use a lot of vegetables, often including garlic, and everything is fresh.
Signature Paraguayan dishes
Some signature Paraguayan dishes include:
Empanadas, which are a signature menu item at AL. Ringling Brewing Co. The outside is made of dough, and the inside contains fresh vegetables, often garlic.
Asadito is like pork on a shish kebab with cumin, garlic, and oil.
Papa Dulce is a soup with beef, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables.
Vori vori is a chicken soup with cornmeal, vegetables, and chicken.
Chipa Guazú is sweet corn with cheese, milk, and oil.
Carmen’s Paraguayan Roots
Carmen grew up on a big cow ranch outside the city Caaguazú, Paraguay. She is 1 of 12 siblings, 6 boys and 6 girls. Her siblings are all close in age, about 1- 2 years apart.
Cooking for Others on the Ringling Circus Train
Carmen moved to the United States to ride motorcycles in the Globe of Steel in 2006. 6 of her brothers and 1 of her sisters rode with her.
When she got here, she couldn’t find Paraguayan food anywhere and didn’t like the food in America at first because it was so different. She especially missed empanadas, which she would have in the morning with coffee in Paraguay. So, she had to make her own.
While traveling on the Ringling Brothers Circus train, Carmen would make empanadas for friends who came over and for people’s birthday parties. A lot of her friends told her she should open her own place for empanadas, and she loves cooking her food for people. She started dreaming of opening a coffee and empanada shop in the United States.
Bringing Paraguayan Food to AL. Ringling Brewing Co.
When AL. Ringling Brewing Co opened, Carmen was excited to bring her dream of having an empanada shop to life. Everyone who tries Carmen’s empanadas falls in love with the fresh ingredients. People drive up from Chicago and other surrounding areas of the Midwest just to taste Carmen’s delicious empanadas.
We are proud to be one of the most unique places to work in Baraboo, with not only 19 fresh craft beers on tap, but also fresh Paraguayan cuisine.
