Carapulcra

Carapulcra is a traditional Peruvian stew made with dried potatoes, meat, peanuts and chili peppers, closely associated with the south and central coast of the country. It is a dish of Andean roots that reflects Peru's culinary mestizaje and still holds a prominent place at large gatherings.

History

Its roots lie in Andean cooking, particularly among the Aymara, who prepared thick stews and soups of llama or alpaca meat with dried potatoes. The cooking technique of heating stones and dropping them into a pot, from which the name derives, is associated with that tradition. After the Spanish conquest the dish evolved gradually and found its way into criollo tables.

In viceregal Peru the name was adapted into Spanish as carapulca and later carapulcra. One of the earliest recorded uses of the latter spelling appears in the newspaper La Cotorra, dated 28 July 1822, in connection with the banquet marking the first anniversary of independence. Over time the stew became part of urban diets and, by the mid-nineteenth century, was common on middle-class tables in Lima.

Culture

In Chincha, in Ica, and in Cañete, in Lima, carapulcra is a central dish at family and festive gatherings, prized both for its flavour and for its capacity to feed many people. Recipes vary from household to household: sweet wine, dark chocolate, ground peanuts, lard biscuits, cloves or allspice may be added, and pork, chicken or hen are used. In Cañete and Chincha it is often served with sopa seca, and then it is called «manchapecho». In Lima it is commonly accompanied by white rice. In 2017 the largest carapulcra in the world was prepared in Chincha, using 650 kilos of potatoes, and about 3,500 people tasted it.

Trivia