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Sopa Paraguaya

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Despite its name meaning "Paraguayan soup," it's actually a dense, sliceable cornbread with no broth in sight.

Sopa paraguaya is a thick, moist cornbread made from cornmeal, cheese, onion, and milk, baked until firm enough to cut into hearty squares. It's sold by the slice at market stalls and asado stands.

Why it's made this way: Local legend traces it to a 19th-century mishap in the kitchen of President Carlos Antonio López, where an over-thickened corn soup was baked instead of served as broth.