AP PHOTOS: Bolivian street food finds its place at the fine dining table

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — From the world’s highest navigable lake, Titicaca, comes a culinary treasure: crispy-skinned fish, cooked in a hot copper pan and served with Andean boiled corn and dehydrated potatoes in traditional clay dishes.

It’s a signature dish of Chef Dennis Llusco at La Rufina, a restaurant in the Bolivian capital, La Paz, that was recently lauded by the U.K.-based organization 50 Best Discovery as one of the world’s best restaurants.

“La Rufina started as a very small kitchen,” said the 30-year-old chef, a native of the Lake Titicaca region. “We never dreamed of having two locations or being included in the 50 Best Discovery list.”

Llusco is one of a growing wave of Latin American chefs drawing inspiration from their roots, elevating the humble street food of Bolivia to haute cuisine.

Stepping through La Rufina, opened in 2021, is like taking a journey through Bolivian traditions. Diners can mingle with cholitas — Indigenous women wearing the traditional, multilayered Andean skirts and black hats — and sample the flavors of street corners and markets.

The menu highlights local favorites, such as the baked potato stuffed with savory minced meat stew, a downtown La Paz staple. Another signature dish prepared by Llusco is “anticucho,” a popular Peruvian street food dish of grilled beef heart fillets served with potatoes and yellow chili pepper sauce.

Chef and food researcher Marko Bonifaz said Bolivia is undergoing an interesting movement that involves integrating haute cuisine with street food, and it is no longer just an attractive option for tourists, but for Bolivians themselves.

Llusco’s cuisine, deeply rooted in the teachings of her mother and aunt, who sold food on the streets of Bolivia, embodies this movement.

“These simple dishes reconnect us with our culture,” she said. “They make me very happy.”

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

People line up to buy fast food on a sidewalk in La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Patrons eat at the Yungas market dining area in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Anticuchos made of potato and pieces of beef heart are grilled at a street food stand in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A vendor prepares "Anticucho," a beef heart based dish consisting of small pieces of grilled meat and potato on skewers, in El Alto, Bolivia, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Chef Carolina Chuquimia prepares a dish of beef steak with yucca at La Rufina restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Street food vendors prepare "Anticucho," a beef heart based dish consisting of small pieces of grilled meat on skewers, in La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

An Anticucho vendor prepares grilled potatoes and beef heart at her street food stand in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

People eat pork cracklings at a street food stall in La Paz, Bolivia, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Street vendors prepare fast food on the streetside in La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A street food vendor prepares a traditional soup from the Andean region called "Wallake" made with fish from Lake Titicaca, in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A food vendor serves a plate to a customer on the street of La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A vendor selling peach drinks called "Mocochinchi" as he waits for customers at his street stand in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

People walk past La Rufina restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A food vendor prepares a dish at the Yungas Market dining room in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Women eat noodle soup at a street stall in El Alto, Bolivia, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Courage is based in love, Melania Trump said Tuesday as she recognized eight women from around the world for bravery, including an Israeli citizen who was held captive by Hamas for nearly two months after the militant group's deadly raid on her country in October 2023.

“These extraordinary women illuminate the transformative power of love in shaping our world,” the first lady said during a ceremony at the State Department, which created the International Women of Courage Award. “Their journeys remind us that true courage is born from a deep commitment to others, showing the love fuels the call for justice.”

The first lady defined courage as “a strength that is based in love,” and she sought parallels with the diverse group of honorees. She said that, in her own life, “I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles.”

The first lady singled out recipient Georgiana Pascu, of Romania, as someone who exemplifies “love in action." Pascu advocates for the rights of institutionalized children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, the State Department said.

“Georgiana is a ‘watchdog’ who defends the dignity of Romanians whose voices cannot be heard,” Trump said, telling the audience that Pascu “fearlessly enters” facilities designated as “care centers,” often dropping in unannounced, to rescue people with disabilities “who are unwittingly held captive.”

“Thanks to Georgiana's brave work, dozens of offenders have been charged with human trafficking, exploitation and even organized crime,” the first lady said.

Another honoree, Israeli lawyer Amit Soussana, has publicly described being sexually assaulted during the 55 days that Hamas kept her in Gaza after the attack. On Tuesday, she delivered a passionate plea for freedom for the hostages still held, saying, “My friends remain in the dark” after more than 540 days, ”still suffering, still waiting, still hoping.”

“Every single day that passes is another day of unimaginable suffering,” she said. “With every passing moment, their pain deepens, their hopes fades and their chances of survival diminish. I call on the world to act, to bring them home now, not tomorrow, not next week. Now.”

The other award recipients are:

__Henriette Da, of Burkina Faso, a human rights advocate.

__Major Velena Iga, of Papua New Guinea, an advocate for combatting violence against women and human trafficking.

__Angelique Songco, of the Philippines, also known as “Mama Ranger," because she leads a small team of rangers protecting Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park from illegal fishing and poaching.

__Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, of South Sunday, a women's rights leader.

__Namini Wijedasa, of Sri Lanka, an investigative journalist.

__Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj, of Yemen, who works to bring international attention to the plight of thousands of abducted and forcibly detained Yemenis.

A group award named for Madeleine Albright, the late former secretary of state, went to female student leaders who protested against violent repression in Bangladesh in July and August of 2024.

Now in its 19th year, the International Women of Courage Award recognizes women from around the world who have shown “exceptional courage, strength and leadership, often at great personal risk and sacrifice."

More than 200 women from over 90 countries have been recognized since the first awards in 2007.

Melania Trump arrives to speak during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, held at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, next to Angelique Songco, of the Philippines, left, who is also known as "Mama Ranger," at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, of South Sudan, a women's rights leader, attends the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

First lady Melania Trump, left, is introduced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

First lady Melania Trump speaks during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

First lady Melania Trump speaks during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, Tuesday April 1, 2025, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)