Food in eastern Bolivia is similar to that of the rest of the country, but, given the fact that it’s closer to Brazil than to La Paz, Santa Cruz offers a distinctly frontier take on national specialties. Common plates in Santa Cruz include charque (essentially a beef jerkey-like dried meat, probably llama, served with either rice or corn and cheese), locro (a hearty rice soup), salteñas (baked beef or chicken empanadas), majao (a rice and meat-based stew), and fritanga (a spicy pork and egg stew). Also worth trying is churrasco, an assortment of barbecued meats.
The prevalence of international communities in Santa Cruz also allows for a wide variety of international food options, including Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and German fare.