Ajiaco

Ajiaco is a soup common to Colombia, Cuba and Peru, with roots reaching back to pre-Columbian times; the name is thought to derive from aji, the Taino word for hot pepper. In Colombia it is best known as ajiaco santafereno, one of the most iconic dishes of the capital, Bogota, made with chicken, three varieties of potato and the herb known locally as guasca or guascas, typically garnished with capers, avocado, corn on the cob or cream. The dish diverges considerably by country: the Cuban version becomes a hearty stew of beef, pork, chicken, vegetables and starchy root vegetables, which the ethnologist Fernando Ortiz described as an apt metaphor for Cuba as a cultural melting pot, while the Peruvian version is prepared with dried chilies, garlic and herbs and served alongside rice and stewed poultry.