Flavors · Arequipa

Ocopa arequipeña

Huacatay cream with ají amarillo, peanuts and cheese, traditionally ground in the batán and served over boiled potatoes with egg and olive. It is a Traditional Guaranteed Specialty registered with Indecopi, requested by the picanteras of Arequipa.

Traditional dish from Arequipa, Arequipa

Also known as: ocopa

Updated October 2026

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Ocopa arequipeña — Arequipa, Peru — Ocopa arequipeña

Ocopa arequipeña — Arequipa, Peru

Ocopa is a thick, vividly colored cream made with huacatay, an Andean herb with a strong aroma, ají amarillo, peanuts, queso fresco or paria and other seasonings. The traditional way to prepare it is in the batán, the flat grinding stone used in Andean kitchens, which gives the cream its characteristic texture.

The cream is served over slices of boiled potato as a starter, garnished with boiled egg, botija olive and lettuce leaves. The huacatay and ají amarillo provide the flavor that distinguishes ocopa from other creams in Peruvian cuisine.

Ocopa arequipeña is a Traditional Guaranteed Specialty, a registry by Indecopi that protects the traditional recipe and method of preparation. The registry was granted by Resolution 30646-2025, dated September 19, 2025. The certificate was issued in 2025 to the Sociedad Picantera de Arequipa, which applied for the registration. Indecopi verified that the ingredients and method have been maintained for more than three decades, and that the recipe as it is known today was consolidated in the 1990s through the work of the picanteras.

For this reason ocopa is linked to the picanterías of Arequipa, the city’s traditional restaurants run largely by women who preserve and pass on the recipes. Ocopa also exists in other regions of Peru with different recipes.

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Where it comes from

Arequipa , Arequipa
Recipe protected at the request of the Sociedad Picantera de Arequipa.

Ingredients

Huacatay, ají amarillo, peanuts, queso fresco or paria, onion and garlic, ground; boiled potato, boiled egg, botija olive and lettuce for serving.

How it is eaten

Cold or at room temperature, as a starter: the cream over the potato slices, with egg and olive.

When it is eaten

Everyday starter at the picanterías of Arequipa.

Your questions

Questions about Ocopa arequipeña

What is ocopa arequipeña?

A cream of huacatay, ají amarillo, peanuts and cheese, traditionally ground in the batán and served over boiled potatoes with egg and olive.

Is ocopa arequipeña officially protected?

Yes. In 2025, Indecopi recognized it as a Traditional Guaranteed Specialty, a registry that protects the traditional recipe and method of preparation.

What is huacatay?

An Andean herb with a strong aroma, used in sauces and creams of Peruvian cuisine. In ocopa, it is the ingredient that gives the flavor and the color.

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