In Paraguayan recipes, locro can actually mean two different things: dried white corn used in a variety of dishes, and a traditional dish that is also called locro. Which meaning is intended usually becomes clear from the context.
What does locro mean as an ingredient?#
If a Paraguayan recipe lists, for example, “200 g of locro”, it does not mean a ready-made soup. Here, locro refers to dried white corn that is usually soaked before cooking and then simmered for a long time.
You will find it, for example, in Jopara, the traditional corn-and-bean dish associated with October 1. White corn is also used for Mazamorra, known in Guaraní as Kaguyjy.
In Paraguay, you may also come across the term Locrillo. It refers to peeled and more finely crushed or cracked corn. As a result, the cooking time can also be different.
And when is locro a dish?#
Locro is also the name of traditional dishes. A classic example is Locro blanco, a thick preparation made with locro corn, onions, and Queso Paraguay. There are also versions with meat or cassava.
This also explains why the term can be confusing at first: in an ingredient list, locro means the corn – while on a menu or in a recipe title, it can refer to the finished dish.
In other South American countries, locro also often refers to a hearty stew. The ingredients and preparation methods vary by country and region.
Locro is part of Paraguay’s culinary heritage#
In Paraguay, locro does not refer only to white corn used as an ingredient. The name is also used for traditional dishes made from it. In 2017, the Secretaría Nacional de Cultura recognized the traditional preparation of Locro, together with Sopa Paraguaya, Vori Vori, and Jopara, as part of Paraguay’s intangible cultural heritage.
So the next time you see “locro” in the ingredient list of a Paraguayan recipe, you will know: it most likely means the white corn – not a ready-made stew.
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