Locro: A Hearty One-pot Dish with Ancestral Roots

Originally, the main ingredients were corn, pumpkin, beans, and chili—all of which can be grown with ease in the Andean Puna and in what is now northeastern Argentina. However, over time, the recipe has changed, gradually becoming the version that is served in Argentina today.

Several historians agree that the migratory flows that reached Argentina in the late 19th century were responsible for the addition of new ingredients to the traditional locro; ingredients that were not commonly found in South America at that time, such as wheat, onion, rosemary, beef, pork, and spices such as pepper.

Some research even suggests that locro was a dish that combined the local conditions of a developing Argentina with traditions brought to the continent by African slaves, who ate a kind of stew that was rich in corn or rice, to which they added whichever ingredients they had to hand. 

What we do know is that by the 20th century, locro had become a symbol of Argentinian tradition and a dish that combined the richness of the country’s own land with the traditions of both indigenous people and immigrants.

The need to emphasize a national culinary identity led to the cementing of locro as the traditional dish eaten during the annual May 25 festivities, which is one of the Argentinian Republic’s main national celebrations. It was on that day in 1810 that the first non-European government was formed in the Cabildo in Buenos Aires and the country ceased to be part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, under Spanish control. 

If you asked several Argentinians for their favorite locro recipe, the chances are that you would get several different answers. The strong link between this dish and the country’s national identity means that every household has its own unique, personal version.

Generally speaking, the classic recipe tends to include pumpkin, white corn, lima beans, chorizo, bacon, beef, and pork. The key—no matter which recipe you follow—is the time spent making it. Once all the steps have been followed, this can amount to several hours. As a final flourish, a spicy sauce known as quiquirimichi is added to the finished dish. This is made from oil, scallions, pepper, ground chilis, and paprika.

In addition, each Argentinian province has its own variations, based on locally grown ingredients and local traditions. In Neuquén, for example, locro is often made with peas, while in other provinces in northern Argentina, cassava is added.

The province of Salta (also in the north of the country) has a stew known as Guaschalocro or Huaschalocro. This is a lighter version of locro, made with fewer ingredients.