Chairo (Chairo)
Overview
Chairo is a traditional soup of the Bolivian highlands around La Paz. Its distinguishing ingredient is chuño, potatoes freeze-dried in the cold Andean air, which is ground and added to a lamb or beef broth to give it a unique earthy flavour and texture. Fresh potatoes, carrots, broad beans, corn and wheat or barley are also added, and dried meat sometimes replaces fresh. It is finished with mint and fried onion. It is hearty and warming, well suited to life at high altitude.
Pictures
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History
The technique of freeze-drying potatoes into chuño was developed by Andean peoples long before the Spanish arrived, as a way to store food for many years. Chairo combines this ancient ingredient with meat and vegetables introduced later, and it is considered one of the emblematic dishes of La Paz and the Aymara highlands. It is often served at family gatherings and on festive days.
Main ingredients
Chuño (freeze-dried potato), lamb or beef, potatoes, carrot, broad beans, mint (hierbabuena). The soup is built on meat broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~120 min
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb or beef, cubed
- 150 g chuño, soaked and crushed
- 2 potatoes, 1 carrot, diced
- 100 g broad beans, 1 corn cob
- 60 g hulled wheat or barley
- mint, fried onion
Allergens: Contains: Gluten. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Simmer the meat in 2.5 l water for 45 minutes.
- Add the wheat and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add chuño, potatoes, carrot, beans and corn and cook for 25 minutes.
- Season and serve with mint and fried onion.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.