''Ocopa'' is a smooth sauce flavored with black mint
huacatay, originally from the city of
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...
, Peru. It may be served hot, as dressing for boiled potatoes, or used as a garnish for cold
hard-boiled eggs. ''Ocopa'' is prepared with sun-dried yellow chilis and sautéed onions, garlic, and thickened with crackers and roasted peanuts.
Characteristic
The sauce is made with yellow pepper and mirasol pepper, both seared without seeds, onion and garlic also seared, evaporated milk, fresh cheese, crackers, peanuts, huacatay, salt and oil. All these ingredients are ground (traditionally in a fulling mill) or blended in such a way that they obtain a slightly pasty consistency and a characteristic color. The dish is decorated with a hard-boiled egg and a botija olive, in Arequipa it is normally accompanied by boiled potatoes or shrimp.
References
Peruvian cuisine
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