Mote (from

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

: ''mut'i'', through Spanish ''mote'') is the generic name for several varieties of boiled grains, consumed in many regions of South America. It is usually prepared by boiling the grains in water made alkaline by the addition of ashes or lime, a process known as

nixtamalization Nixtamalization () is a process for the preparation of corn, or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater (but sometimes aqueous alkali metal carbonates), washed, and then hulled. The ter ...

. It was also a staple food for Native American hunting parties and war bands on long journeys.

Argentina

In Argentina, mote is consumed primarily in the mountainous northwest region, and less frequently in Cuyo and

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

. It is a stew of thin consistency (this is one of the main differences with the soup called locro) made from white hominy, sometimes peeled, and boiled with jume ash. The grains are usually accompanied with small pieces of meat (llama, goat, mutton, beef, pork, poultry and more rarely

viscacha Viscacha or vizcacha (, ) are rodents of two genera ('' Lagidium'' and ''Lagostomus'') in the family Chinchillidae. They are native to South America and convergently resemble rabbits. The five extant species of viscacha are: *The plains visc ...

and mulita). It is also made with beans and with wheat. In Patagonia, in the northern region, in addition to the stew, it is consumed accompanied with some sort of cool drink, either water, juice, tea, soft drinks, with or without the addition of sugar.

Bolivia

In Bolivia "mote" refers to grain cooked in its husk. Typically, corn is used;

fava beans ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Varieti ...

are also used occasionally. When the husk is removed from the grain, the dish is called ''pelado''. The term ''pelado'' used alone refers to corn. Wheat pelado is used mainly in soups.

Chile

When the term "mote" is used alone, it refers to wheat mote, that is wheat grain boiled and removed from its husk, generally in an industrial process. It is used mainly to make a sweet beverage called mote con huesillos. Salted, it is used to accompany stews and sauces (''guisos''), in dishes such as ''porotos con mote'', ''mote guisado'' and ''papas con mote''. It is also used in soups. In

Mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who s ...

cuisine it is used for making a type of dough called '' catuto'' in Spanish (''mültrün'' in

Mapudungun Mapuche (, Mapuche & Spanish: , or Mapudungun; from ' 'land' and ' 'speak, speech') is an Araucanian language related to Huilliche spoken in south-central Chile and west-central Argentina by the Mapuche people (from ''mapu'' 'land' and ''che ...

), for making a slightly alcoholic drink called '' muday'', and as an ingredient in many foods, such as ''

cazuela Cazuela ( or ) is the common name given to a variety of dishes, especially from South America. It receives its name from the ''cazuela'' (Spanish for cooking pot) – traditionally, an often shallow pot made of unglazed earthenware used for c ...

s'' and ''kakoiyael'' ("food of mote"). Corn mote (''moteméi'', from ''mote de maíz'') is a husked grain which is used in desserts and savory foods.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, "mote" refers to corn kernels that have been boiled and cooked, which are served peeled. They often accompany popular dishes such as ''

hornado Hornado is roast pig, cooked whole, in Ecuadorian cuisine. It is often served in highland markets. Hornado is generally accompanied by llapingacho, mote (hominy), and vegetables. See also * List of Ecuadorian dishes and foods This is a list o ...

'' and '' fritada''. They are used in many soups, including '' caldo de patas''. It is also the main ingredient in dishes typical of the city of Cuenca, such as '' mote pillo'', '' mote sucio'' and '' mote pata''.

Peru

In Peru mote refers to husked white corn kernels that have been boiled with charcoal or firewood, today with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) powder. In Cusco, Peru, there is a variety called giant corn mote of Cusco (''maíz mote gigante del Cusco'') that is known for its large size. In Peru, wheat cooked in the manner described above is known as wheat mote (''mote del trigo'').{{Citation needed, date=April 2022

Venezuela

In Venezuela, this dish is known as ''mute'' and consists of husked white corn kernels boiled with ash or calcium hydroxide until they burst completely. In central Venezuela, pork and spices are added to the dish to provide flavor. In the Andean region, it is made with beef stomach (tripe) and in the states of Lara and Yaracuy with goat organs such as liver and kidneys. Corn prepared in this way is used for the ''

arepa ''Arepa'' () is a type of food made of ground maize dough stuffed with a filling, eaten in the northern region of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in the cuis ...

pelada'' from the state of Falcón.

References

Argentine cuisine Bolivian cuisine Chilean cuisine Colombian cuisine Ecuadorian cuisine Peruvian cuisine Venezuelan cuisine Maize dishes Native American cuisine Staple foods