Anthony Lamas learned to experiment with Latin flavors during his childhood in southern California.

"My mom is Mexican and my father is from Puerto Rico, so I was exposed to many different foods when I was young," recalls the chef/owner of Jicama, a three-year-old restaurant that has become a highlight on the Louisville, Ky. dining scene. "At Jicama, we serve Mexican, Cuban, South American – we're really a mix [of the cuisines], and people in Louisville are excited about the new flavors!"

Lamas, and other chefs nationwide, are discovering that diners are ready for dishes made with ingredients not only from Mexico (the country whose cuisine has taken America by storm), but also from the 25 other nations (not including the Caribbean, which also belongs to the Latino culinary tradition) that comprise Latin America.

This melting pot of flavors – which presents restaurateurs with great menu potential – includes Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Guianas (which includes Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana), Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti, author Elisabeth Luard writes in "The Latin American Kitchen" (Laurel Glen Publishing, 2002).

"Mexican restaurants are starting to borrow from Latin, or Nuevo Latino, foods," says Rafael Palomino, chef/owner of New York City's Sonora and the new Pacifico and author of cookbooks including "Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-Style" (Chronicle Books, 2002). "Food from Mexico is incredible – you think of the chiles, moles, and tequilas, which are very earthy kinds of foods. Nuevo Latino, which I call Bistro Latino because I give it a French influence, is lighter. It uses more root vegetables like yuca and malanga, and a lot of stocks."

Different climates = different cuisine

The nuances of each nation's cuisine are a matter of geography and climate. Tomatoes, for example, were cultivated in modern form by the Aztecs of Mexico, which is also home of the avocado. Corn is grown throughout Central America (including Mexico) and in Colombia, Chile, Peru and Ecuador and is a staple ingredient in the cuisine of those countries. Cassava root is a staple in the Caribbean and Amazonia, while the potato "achieves the status of staple only in the Peruvian highlands," according to Luard.

The way food is prepared and served also distinguishes each country's fare. In Mexico and Central America, tortillas are used to scoop salsas, bean purees, meat and vegetables that are chopped small and don't require cutting. In Argentina, southern Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, meat on-the-bone and roasted over an open fire is a popular meal option, Luard notes.

Menu magic

The increasing availability of Latin ingredients and diners' eagerness to try them open a world of opportunity for restaurateurs willing to have fun with new flavors. But that doesn't mean discarding favorites, or changing your menu's focus. You can simply add a special of the week, or "borrow" ingredients (serve malanga chips in addition to tortilla chips, mashed plantains and Peruvian potatoes as side dish alternatives to rice), from your choice of Latin countries to create menu magic for your customers.