This iconic South American stew, called locro, is the perfect hearty winter meal when served with hot crusty bread. Roasted squash seeds add crunch.Locro (from the Quechua ruqru) is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range. The dish is a common plate for the Peruvian cuisine, which at one point held the center of the Inca empire. It is also one of the most typical Argentine dishes prepared by the different native Indian tribes at a time of the Spanish conquest. Its origin dates to before the Spanish colonial times. Locro at the table, with quiquirimichi and bread.The defining ingredients are corn, some form of meat (usually beef, but sometimes beef jerky or chorizo), and vegetables. Other ingredients vary widely, and typically include onion, beans, squash or pumpkin. It is mainly eaten in winter and is therefore has a greater caloric value. In Argentina it spread from the Cuyo region to the rest of the country. It is considered a national dish and is often served on May 25, the anniversary of the May Revolution. Recipe CuisineAtHome Magazine, Issue 79, February 2010 edition. Locro being served at Simoca market, ArgentinaIn some parts, such as in the Santiago del Estero Province of Argentina, a red hot sauce made from red peppers and paprika known as quiquirimichi is served on the side.