Ocopa Arequipeña

Peruvian cold potatoes in a peanut, huacatay and ají amarillo sauce

Origin: Arequipa, Peru

From the journey of Peanut.

Ocopa is the signature cold starter of Arequipa, Peru's 'White City' in the high Andes, and one of the most ancient peanut preparations still made in continuous culinary tradition. The name likely derives from a Quechua word for the dressing. The sauce's two essential and pre-Columbian ingredients are peanuts and huacatay, the Peruvian black mint (Tagetes minuta), a pungent, complex herb with notes of tarragon, basil, and citrus that grows wild across the Andean highlands and appears in no other culinary tradition on earth. The combination (peanuts for body and fat, huacatay for its distinctive green intensity, ají amarillo for heat) is Andean flavour architecture at its most characteristic. The post-Columbian additions of galleta (unsweetened crackers, used as thickener), queso fresco, and evaporated milk deepen and enrich the sauce without displacing its ancient character. Ocopa is served cold, always over boiled yellow potato (papa amarilla), and always garnished with hard-boiled eggs and olives.

Ingredients

Sauce

150 g roasted unsalted peanuts
3 tbsp huacatay paste (available at Latin American grocers; or substitute 2 tbsp fresh tarragon + 1 tbsp fresh basil, blended)
2 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or 1 fresh ají amarillo, deseeded)
1 white onion, roughly chopped, briefly soaked in cold water
2 garlic cloves
6 saltine crackers or plain unsweetened biscuits
100 g queso fresco or mild feta
100 ml evaporated milk or whole milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

To Serve

800 g yellow-fleshed waxy potatoes (papa amarilla if available), boiled in their skins until tender, peeled
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
12 black olives

Garnish

2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

In a blender or food processor, combine the peanuts, huacatay paste, ají amarillo paste, onion (drained), garlic, crackers, queso fresco, and evaporated milk. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth.
With the blender running, drizzle in the vegetable oil to emulsify the sauce. Season generously with salt. The sauce should be thick and creamy; about the consistency of a thick mayonnaise. If too thick, add a splash more milk.
Taste and adjust; more huacatay for greenness and herb depth, more ají amarillo for heat. Refrigerate until ready to serve (the sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead; it improves with resting).
Arrange the warm or room-temperature boiled potatoes on a serving plate. Spoon the cold ocopa sauce generously over the potatoes. Garnish with halved eggs, olives, and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Huacatay paste is the irreplaceable ingredient of authentic ocopa. It is available in jars at Latin American and Peruvian grocery stores, and increasingly online. The tarragon-basil substitute produces a different but pleasant result. Papa amarilla (Peruvian yellow potato) has a naturally buttery, dense texture ideal for this dish; a good waxy potato works well. Ocopa is also served over sliced boiled eggs alone as a lighter starter.

The Gastrographer

Name: Ocopa Arequipeña
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Peru
Ingredients: 150 g roasted unsalted peanuts; 3 tbsp huacatay paste (available at Latin American grocers; or substitute 2 tbsp fresh tarragon + 1 tbsp fresh basil, blended); 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or 1 fresh ají amarillo, deseeded); 1 white onion, roughly chopped, briefly soaked in cold water; 2 garlic cloves; 6 saltine crackers or plain unsweetened biscuits; 100 g queso fresco or mild feta; 100 ml evaporated milk or whole milk; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp salt; 800 g yellow-fleshed waxy potatoes (papa amarilla if available), boiled in their skins until tender, peeled; 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved; 12 black olives; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control