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Chuño
Chuño: small potatoes frozen by Altiplano nights, thawed by the sun and trodden dry into light, dark keepers that last for years
On the Altiplano around Lake Titicaca, in June and July when the nights drop to -10 °C and the days are bright and dry, Aymara and Quechua families spread small, bitter potatoes on the grass to make chuño, a technique far older than the Inca. The potatoes freeze at night and thaw in the sun for several days, then are trodden barefoot to squeeze out the water and rub off the skins, and dried for a couple of weeks more. The result is light, wrinkled, grey-black chuño negro that keeps for years; soaked in running stream water instead, the same potatoes become white tunta. Rehydrated and boiled, chuño is firm, slightly chewy and spongy, with an earthy, faintly mineral, almost fermented taste; it goes into chairo soup, into chuño phuti, or beside grilled meat with spicy llajwa. Skipping the long soak is the big mistake: it stays bitter and gritty, so soak it for at least 12 hours, changing the water. Dried chuño is ready when it is rock hard, very light and rattles in a bag. Chef's tip: without Andean frosts, a freezer and a low oven make a fair version; the method is below.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chuño
- 2 ¼ lb small potatoesegg-sized; Andean bitter potatoes if you have them, otherwise any small waxy variety
To cook
- 8 ¼ cups cold water, for soaking
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)
- llajwa or another fresh chilli sauce (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: The Altiplano way: spread the potatoes on dry grass or straw in a single layer and leave them out for 3–5 frosty nights and sunny days, then tread them in clean bare feet to squeeze out the water and loosen the skins, and dry them in the sun for 2–3 weeks. The steps below are a home version for places without hard frosts.
Step 2: Wash the 2 ¼ lb small potatoes, leaving them whole and unpeeled. Spread them in a single layer on a tray and freeze at -64°F for 12 hours, until frozen solid.
5 minStep 3: Take them out and let them thaw at room temperature, ideally in sunshine, for 6–8 hours, until soft and leaking water.
Step 4: Repeat the freezing and thawing 3–4 times in all. Each cycle breaks down more of the cells; the potatoes become soft and squashy and start to darken.
Step 5: After the last thaw, put a few potatoes at a time on a clean cloth and press each one firmly with your palm, or tread on them in clean bare feet on a clean cloth as on the Altiplano, to squeeze out as much water as you can. Rub off the loosened skins as you go.
40 minStep 6: Dry them: spread on a rack in a 50–140°F oven with the door propped open with a wooden spoon (or in a dehydrator) for 10–12 hours, turning once, or in full sun on a mesh-covered tray for 1–2 weeks, bringing them in at night. They are done when they are rock hard, very light and dark grey with no damp centre when one is broken open.
Step 7: Store in an airtight jar or a cloth bag in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years. Discard any that feel soft or damp, smell musty or show mould.
Step 8: To cook, cover the chuño with plenty of 8 ¼ cups cold water, for soaking and soak for 12–24 hours, changing the water twice; the bitterness and grit go into the water. Squeeze each piece, rub off any skin left and break large ones in half.
10 minStep 9: Boil in fresh water with the 1 tsp salt over a medium heat for 20–25 minutes, until tender but still pleasantly chewy. Drain, toss with 1 tbsp vegetable oil if you like and serve with llajwa or another fresh chilli sauce, or add to soups and stews for the last 20 minutes.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 145 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chuño take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of small potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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