“Pique Macho”

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As you have heard in the last couple entries, Nejla and I were pleasantly surprised to find Bolivian youths to be incredibly friendly and open to lively conversation. As we were all working together to make a dinner to celebrate a friend’s graduation from the University with a law degree, one of the guys told me a story about the origin of “pique macho,” the dish we had that evening…

The dish consisted of a big stew pot of chunks of tenderize beef, small sausages, small french fries, thinly sliced onions and peppers, and seasoned with red lager, salt, garlic, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and locoto (spicy pepper). Apparently, one night after a night in the bars, a guy accompanied by his buddies approached one of the many street food vendors in the city of La Paz. Obviously inebriated, the man and his buddies began ordering food, telling the lady in their drunken hunger to add everything in sight to the pot, including some more cerveza (beer) and a hefty addition of hot seasonings. They loaded their plates with condiments and began to woof it all down to satiate their appetite. It is told that the dish was so spicy that the men returned back to a state of sobriety by the time they polished off their plates. So, the dish became part of popular Bolivian fare and was aptly named “macho portion” because it is believed that one is “macho” if they can finish the whole portion, like on the night of the dish’s conception.

Hmmm…I think I’m hungry again…
Laura ☺

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Comments

[Aida]

yummmm
Oooh...wish I was there to share the pique macho! Sounds like you're having fun. Love the blog so far, keep it up! Love, Aida

[bonnie (maria b.) - una prima]

!Muchas gracias! !Que les vaya muy, muy bien!
!Hola Primas! !!!Que bien y enhorabuena!!! A mi me parece super interesante la beca que conseguieron (!!WOW!!) y todo que Uds. dos estan haciendo. !Les felicito! No hay nada como tu pais natal...no es cierto?!?! Espero poder leer mas detalle y aprender mucho de tu investigacion -- como tus aventuras. !!Adelante mujeres!!!! Un abrazo llena del carino boliviano -- bonnie (maria bonita) galindo (haddonfield, new jersey, usa)