The Festival of Chairo and Patasca in Lima

With the intention of promoting a couple of hearty Andean soups, chairo and patasca, a folkloric festival including traditional music and dances from the regions of Puno and Junin is celebrated at the Coliseo Internacional Puno in Lima, at the end of May. The chairo from Puno is a soup of lamb, vegetables, and black chuño—a freeze-dried potato product traditionally made by Andean people. The patasca from Junin is a soup of beef and mote—fried hominy corn. Both soups are high in nutritional values. Among the many artists that perform at the festival are the Sikuris music band from Puno and the Tunantada dancers from Junin.