What is "llapingacho"

Llapingacho are fried potato cakes that originated in Ecuador. They are usually served with a peanut sauce. The dish is also famous in Colombia. The potato patties or thick pancakes are stuffed with cheese and cooked on a hot griddle until crispy brown.

In Ecuador they are sometimes made with mashed, cooked yuca, or cassava, instead of potato. The yuca or cassava root used to make llapingachos is not to be confused with the similarly spelled yucca, the roots of which are generally not edible.