Kivevé

Kivevé is a Guaraní-Litoral dish of creamy squash and corn, eaten across northeastern Argentina and Paraguay. Its name comes from Guaraní, and it sits halfway between a side dish and a pudding: cooked squash is mashed and combined with cornmeal, onion, cheese, milk and sugar, then simmered until thick and creamy. The result is bright orange, slightly sweet, with the squash giving colour and natural sweetness, the cornmeal giving body, and the cheese giving a savoury counterpoint. It is eaten as a side with grilled meats or river fish, or on its own as a light meal, and its gentle sweetness makes it popular with children. It belongs to the same Guaraní family as chipá guazú and sopa paraguaya.

A bright orange, creamy, semi-sweet spoonable dish with the flavour of fresh squash and sweet corn, melted cheese running through, and a savoury onion base. Eaten warm, comforting, halfway between a side and a pudding.

The dish relies on the natural starch of squash and cornmeal. Squash is peeled, boiled and mashed. Onion is fried in oil or butter, the squash and cornmeal added with milk, sugar and crumbled cheese, and the whole simmered gently, stirring, until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. The cornmeal absorbs the squash and milk liquid, thickening the dish, while the cheese melts through. The sugar is modest, enough to enhance the squash's natural sweetness without making it a dessert. The texture should be thick enough to hold on a spoon but still soft and creamy, not stiff.