A Trip Back to the Northwest in Three Dishes With Flavors From Another Time

While these are also typically enjoyed in Salta—Chicoana has its own national festival—Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja and Santiago del Estero, tamales are the homemade delicacy that represents Jujuy cooking across all Quebrada and jungle regions.

The origin of tamales is linked to the path of the mestizos colliding with native traditions, starting in Mexico and reaching all across the Andes through the conquistadors. The term tamal comes from tamalli, which means wrapped in the Náhuatl language.

With recipes that vary in every corner of the continent—there are records of tamales existing as part of ceremonies of various civilizations—the preparation is based on corn dough filled with meat and vegetables and wrapped in a (maize) corn husk.

In Jujuy, tamales typically include charqui (sun-dried salted meat) and the head of a pig or cow as the filling. Backbone meat, parboiled and then dried out in the oven, shaped into a small ball which is then wrapped in the leaf, can also be used.

Tamales are one of the most popular delicacies in the northwest region. They are included in home cooking, menus in restaurants, and local fast food or takeout cuisines.

Calapurca, a traditional Puna dish, is a soup made and consumed on special occasions, family events, community ceremonies, or the Pachamama Festival. It is also known as kalapurca, carapulca, or pari rucru, among other names.

Calapurca is based on a bone and vegetable broth, in which charqui (dried meat) is hydrated and shredded. Spices and peeled and cooked maize are then added. It is finished off with a few breadcrumbs and accompanied by a spicy salsa.

Alongside the many different names for this Andean dish, there are also many different ways of cooking it. Some communities use peeled corn grits, llama meat, mashed potatoes, garlic, rocoto, and even yerba buena. Ingredients vary from region to region.

In Aymara, the word calapurca refers to a stew prepared with hot stones. During preparation, these are heated over a hot fire until they take on a reddish color. At this point, they are submerged in the broth and left to continue cooking until the flavor is incorporated.

Similar to the Mapuche cooking method of curanto, specialists classify calapurca under the label of ancestral stone meals, where the ritual is just as important as the food itself. The food is considered spiritual, nutritional, and medicinal at the same time.

This is a very popular dessert in the northwest region, especially in the province of Salta, made with flour or corn flour (polenta), sugar, and lemon.

There are different versions of the preparation in terms of tastes and the time of year. It can contain cinnamon and fruits, which may be dried or dehydrated peaches, as well as apples, nectarines, and mango, among other ingredients.

Salta’s climate typically determines the presentation. In winter, it is served hot with a semi-liquid consistency in a bowl.

In summer, it is left to cool in water to later cut into portions or serve with a heavy cream, by itself or accompanied by molasses.

There are other versions between ancestral and gourmet with a wide range of possibilities for this simple, cheap, rich, and nutritious recipe, offering a variety of possible textures and flavors as a result.