What is "locro"

Locro (from the Quechua ruqru) is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range. It's one of the national dishes of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. The dish is a classic corn, beans, and potato or cucurbita soup well known along the South American Andes. Typically locro is made using a specific kind of potato called “papa chola”, which has a unique taste and is difficult to find outside of its home region.

The defining ingredients are corn, some form of meat (usually beef, but sometimes beef jerky or chorizo), and vegetables. Other ingredients vary widely, and typically include onion, beans, squash or pumpkin. It is mainly eaten in winter.

In Argentina it spread from the Cuyo region to the rest of the country. It is considered a national dish and is often served on May 25, the anniversary of the May Revolution. A red hot sauce made from red peppers and paprika known as chimichurri is served sometimes on the side.

In Ecuador, a variant known as yahuarlocro is popular. It incorporates lamb entrails and lamb blood to the recipe.

at the table, with quiquirimichi and bread. Image:Locro simoca.jpg|Locro being served at Simoca market, Argentina Image:LocroOlla.jpg|Big pots of locro cooked on coal Quiquirimichi