Facts About Locro
Locro is a hearty thick squash stew, associated with native Andean civilizations, and popular along the Andes mountain range. It's one of the national dishes of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Southern Colombia and Argentina.
Composition
The dish is a classic squash, corn, beans, and potato or pumpkin soup well known along the South American Andes. In some regions 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 squash, 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 back to the front 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 Quiquirimichi 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.
Peru