Papas rellenas is a traditional dish in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

vian cuisines. The earliest appearances in cookbooks are from the late 19th century. It has now spread to other parts of Latin America. In Peru there is a variation of this dish called "yuca rellena", which replaces the potato with yuca, giving a different taste and texture from those dishes made with potatoes.

Preparation

The dish is a baked potato dough into which a filling made of chopped beef and onions, whole olives, hard boiled eggs, cumin and other spices is stuffed. Once prepared, the obloid mass is deep fried. Potato flour is often added to give greater consistency to the dough. In Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, the dish is usually accompanied with a "salsa criolla", or an aji

Ají pepper

Capsicum baccatum is a species of chili pepper that includes the following cultivar and varieties:*Aji amarillo, or amarillo chili*Peppadew*Lemon drop*Bishop's Crown*Brazilian Starfish*Wild Baccatum-Origins and distribution:The C...

 sauce.

Caribbean variants

They consist in mashed potato

Mashed potato

Mashed potato is made by mashing freshly boiled potatoes with a ricer, fork, potato masher, food mill, or whipping them with a hand beater. Dehydrated and frozen mashed potatoes are available in many places...

es stuffed with seasoned ground meat, various spice

Spice

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...

s then deep fried

Deep frying

Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....

. The dish varies in preparation and presentation from country to country. Papas Rellenas are a local favorite in heavily Cuban-populated American cities such as Miami and Tampa

Tâmpa

Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

, in which the Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

n version consists of potato balls stuffed with seasoned picadillo

Picadillo

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines that is similar to hash...

. This dish is also extensively consumed in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, where it is called "relleno de papa".