Carapulcra, or carapulca, is an ancient
Andean dish that has been prepared for centuries by both
Quechua peoples and
Aymara peoples. The original term for this dish in the
Aymara language is qala phurk'a, which means a stew made with hot stones. In contemporary
Peruvian cuisine and
Bolivian cuisine, it is a stew of
pork and papa seca (dehydrated potatoes), with
peanuts,
aji panca and
mirasol peppers,
garlic, and other spices like
clove. In ancient times llama meat or alpaca meat would have been used, and some people still use these meats today.[1] It is usually eaten with rice, boiled potatoes or
yuca.[2]
Name
Originally called carapulca,[3][4][5] this stew has spread and is widely known in
Lima as carapulcra[6][7][8] (although this name is not accepted by the RAE). The name comes from the
Aymaraqala phurk'a, 'stew [made] on hot stones', and from the
Quechuaqalaphurka).[9][10]