Peru’s Indigenous people have cultivated hundreds of native potato varieties in the Andes for centuries. They boil, fry, roast, and bake potatoes in earthen ovens. And they make potato salads with various dressings. One is papa la huancaina, or potatoes in the style of Huancayo, a town in Peru’s Andes. Boiled potato rounds are bathed in a creamy cheese sauce that street food vendors make with milk and queso fresco. Ground aji amarillo, Peru’s native yellow hot pepper adds color and heat. One story goes that women from Huancayo prepared this dish for workers that constructed the railroad line from Lima to Huancayo. Served on a bed of lettuce, this vegan version has the same aji amarillo and onion aderezo base, while the mixture of oat milk, coconut yogurt, and nutritional yeast (nooch) replaces the savory profile in queso fresco. For a hearty combinado, serve with vegan tallarines rojos.
10 search results for "Papa a la huancaína"
Papa a la Huancaina (Peruvian Potato Salad)
Papa a la Huancaina, Peruvian Potato Salad
“So, what are you bringing to the picnic?”
Papa a la Huancaina.
“Papa a la huanca-what?”
It’s a Peruvian potato salad, originally from the town of Huancayo.
“Oh. What makes it Peruvian, aren’t potatoes from Idaho or Ireland, anyway?”
No, potatoes are from Peru, there are hundreds of different varieties grown in the Andes mountains, and they have been a staple of the Inca diet for centuries.
“So, what’s so special about this salad?”
Well, the potatoes and greens are bathed in a spicy aji amarillo sauce made with yellow hot peppers, queso fresco, milk, and an onion sofrito — it’s served cold, so it’s refreshing and spicy at the same time, plus it’s garnished with hardboiled eggs and olives.
“Wow. I’d really like to try some.”
Of course, I really think you’ll like it, t’s pretty special because my Mom showed me how to make it. Here, this is her recipe so you make it at home.
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Peruvian Potato Salad (Papa a la Huancaina)
This Peruvian potato salad has a spicy, creamy, and colorful dressing that is a vehicle for one of the most important ingredients in Peruvian cuisine — aji amarillo, a smoky yellow hot pepper with a subtle fire.
View the updated recipe for Papa a la Huancaina →
Vegan Tallarines Rojos
Thanks to Italian immigrants who settled in Lima in the 1800s, the city’s working class adopted tallarines rojos (red spaghetti), a dish with a tomato sauce that evolved from Italy’s Bolognese sauce. Over time, Lima’s cooks added creole spices such as cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaves. My grandmother prepared this dish for beach picnic outings during my mom’s youth in 1940s Lima, and my mom prepared this dish for our picnic outings when I was a child. Today, I carry on the tradition and prepare tallarines rojos for my family. In this vegan version, cooking red lentils in the sauce provides protein and a creamy consistency, while agave adds a hint of sweetness. Since tomatoes are native to Peru, this dish also represents a culinary journey. The tomato travels from Peru to Italy and returns as a sauce. For a hearty combinado, serve with vegan papa a la huancaina.
Peruvian Street Food Class at 18 Reasons
Peruvian Street Food Class at 18 Reasons
Since the time of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru in the 1600’s, vendors have been preparing and selling food all over the streets of Lima — from colorful fruit drinks, to fire grilled smoky kebobs, creamy salads, savory meat sandwiches, and sweet delicacies, the streets of Lima were always filled with a unique fusion of cultures, spices, and aromas all morning, day, and night.
In this hands-on class, you will use different cooking techniques to prepare some of the most popular street food from Peru. The first part of the class will be spent in the 18 Reasons kitchen, where you will work in groups to cook an appetizer, salad, and sandwich. Afterwards, you will enjoy a sit-down dinner with beer and wine, and share the dishes you prepared in the kitchen.
Recipes for Peruvian Street Food Class on October 12, 2015
Chicha Morada — purple corn and critrus drink popular in the Andes and now the streets of LimaAnticuchos de Camarones — shrimp kebob appetizer marinated in an aji panca and vinager sauce, a seafood version of the quintessential Lima street food, served with chimichurri sauce
Papa a la Huancaina — cooked potatoes and greens salad with an aji amarillo and cheese sauce, garnished with hard boiled eggs, olives, and parsley
Salsa Criolla — red onions pickled in vinegar and lime juice
Pan con Chicharron — braised pork sandwich with sweet potato and salsa criolla, typically served for breakfast and also perfect for on the go
Mazamorra Morada — purple corn dessert pudding, warm, creamy, sweet, and topped with a cinnamon dust
This class is taught by Nico, Peruvian chef, Pisco mixologist, and founder of Pisco Trail. Born in Peru and based in San Francisco, CA, Nico has enjoyed Peruvian street food all his life and is thrilled to share some of his favorite dishes with you in this class. Visit piscotrail.com for recipes, cocktails, and a calendar of upcoming pop-up dinners and classes.