The entire dining room of I Love Paraguay was packed on a recent Saturday night. Surrounded by tangles of colorful flowers and vines adorning the walls, families and groups of friends dug into empanadas and parrillada (a grilled meat platter). A harpist serenaded two birthday parties.

For the 18 years since its opening in Sunnyside, Queens, the restaurant has remained dedicated to traditional Paraguayan food customs. It’s one of only a handful of Paraguayan restaurants in New York, whose scarcity reflects the community’s small numbers: only 4,210 people or 0.05% of the NYC population are Paraguayan.

It honors San Juan in June with month-long specials like chicharô hu’itï (fried pork with toasted cornflour). It facilitates the August 1st ritual of drinking carrulim that’s believed to

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