Chipa avatí
chipa avatí (avatí = maíz)
The maize chipa: a variety in the big chipa family whose star is avatí, the Guaraní maize.
What it is
In Guaraní, avatí means maize, and chipa avatí is the variant of the chipa family in which maize plays the leading role. It is on the list of 51 dishes that DINAPI declared Paraguayan gastronomic heritage in 2018, along with chipa almidón, chipa pirú and chipa mestiza. The most widely grown maize in the country is avatí morotĩ, also called avatí chipá: although the kernel is yellowish, the flour turns whitish when ground. Maize was a sacred plant for the Guaraní and is the base of sopa paraguaya, locro and vorí vorí, which the National Secretariat of Culture declared intangible cultural heritage in 2017.
Ingredients
History
Wikipedia mentions it among the chipa varieties in Paraguayan cooking. In 2017 the National Secretariat of Culture declared vorí vorí, locro, sopa paraguaya and yopará, all maize-based, intangible cultural heritage.
Did you know…?
The country has more maize varieties: avatí guapy, avatí mitã, avatí tĩ, pichinga aristado, sapé pytã, tupi morotĩ and tupi pytã.
When
All year; a typical snack with mate cocido.
Where
In homes and bakeries in the maize-growing areas; ask at the town bakery whether they have it.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.