A folk healer who cures illnesses, ailments, or negative energies using plants, rituals, and ancestral knowledge. Curanderos are the traditional doctors in many Latin American communities where modern medicine isn't available or trusted.

A person from the upper class who's stuck-up and acts superior in Bolivia. They think they're better than everyone else because of their money, last name, or social status, and they never miss a chance to show it.

Sun-dried salted meat, an ancient preservation method from the Andes that predates refrigeration. It's chewy, intensely flavorful, and the origin of the English word 'jerky.'

A thick, hearty stew of corn, beans, squash, and meat eaten on Argentine national holidays. Locro is the most patriotic dish of May 25th, the kind that fills your soul and your stomach equally.

French fries with sliced sausage on top, drowned in all kinds of sauces. It's cheap, fast, and delicious street food popular across South America as the perfect late-night snack.

The Aymara word for grandmother or a respected elderly woman in the community, used in Bolivia with affection and deep respect. Saying "mi awicha" carries warmth, tradition, and cultural roots that the Spanish "abuela" alone does not fully convey.

A hearty Bolivian dish from Cochabamba made of rice, boiled potato, a thin breaded and fried beef cutlet, and a fried egg on top. One of Bolivia's most iconic and beloved comfort foods: deeply filling, full of flavor, and nearly impossible to finish solo if you order the full portion.

A moment ago, just a little while back, it just happened, used in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. Denantes is the colloquial Andean way of saying 'a while ago' that sounds old-fashioned but is still used every day.

A thick sweater or heavy knit top. In the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, the chompa is essential gear against the brutal highland cold that catches lowlanders completely off guard.

An affectionate Bolivian term for a close friend or trusted acquaintance, especially common in La Paz and El Alto. It is the diminutive of "compadre" stripped down to its warmest form. You only say "ey cumita" to someone from your inner circle, never a stranger.

A tender corn cob cooked in water or grilled over coals, from the Quechua word "chuqllu." Choclo is a staple of Andean cooking in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, served alone, in soups, or alongside almost anything. Peruvian choclo in particular is known for its large, starchy kernels, nothing like the sweet corn you find elsewhere.

A little extra, a freebie thrown in by the seller as a gesture of goodwill. The ñapa is a beloved tradition in Colombian and Venezuelan markets, a small bonus that makes you feel valued as a customer.

A shady, underqualified, or unethical lawyer who handles minor matters sloppily and is not to be trusted with anything serious. In Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia the term carries a well-established contemptuous meaning.

A small rural farm or plot of land where crops are grown or animals are raised. The term can also refer to something rustic or unsophisticated.

A distilled sugarcane spirit, the local equivalent of aguardiente, widely consumed in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Drunk straight, mixed with water, or used as the base for traditional cocktails in the region. Rough around the edges and deeply tied to local drinking culture.

A person who brings bad luck wherever they go, someone whose presence seems to jinx everything. From Quechua "q'encha" meaning bad omen, khenchoso is used in Bolivia with full seriousness when things keep going wrong and someone needs a metaphysical explanation.

Strawberry in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and other Southern Cone countries. It's the exact same delicious red fruit that Mexico and Spain call fresa, but down there it's frutilla and there's no debate.

Hot pepper or chili, the general South American term for what Mexico calls chile and Spain calls guindilla or pimiento. From the Andes to the Southern Cone, ají is the spice that gives life and depth to the cooking. Peruvian ají amarillo is a classic example.

To go out partying, hit the night with friends, drinking and dancing until sunrise. Used in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, it comes from "farra" (party) turned into a verb. Monday conversations in these countries are basically just people comparing their farreo stories.

A little freebie the market vendor throws in as a bonus for being a loyal customer in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It's the Andean tradition of generosity that keeps customers coming back.

A person from eastern Bolivia, especially from Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It's a proud regional identity that marks the cultural distinction from the western highlands, and locals carry the label with fierce pride.

A knit sweater or pullover for staying warm in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. It's the quintessential warm garment of the Andean highlands that your grandma knitted with love and nothing compares to.

A useless person who is a total liability, someone who ruins everything they touch and never contributes to the group. In Peru and Bolivia calling someone a maleta is one of the most direct ways to say they are completely hopeless at something.

Fake, counterfeit, or low-quality in Bolivia and Peru: something that claims to be real but clearly is not. Chuto is the word for knockoff sneakers, pirated movies, or a diploma from a suspicious school. If the price is too good and the quality looks shaky, it is probably chuto.

Fake, counterfeit, or not what it claims to be. Used in Argentina and Bolivia for knockoff brands, phony documents, and anything that looks legitimate until you look a little closer. The telltale signs always surface eventually.

In Argentina, Chile, and the Southern Cone, it means 'just now' or 'a moment ago', something that happened very recently. It's used on its own as an adverb, unlike in Spain where it needs a past participle.

Hot chocolate, the dark, thick, lightly sweetened kind that is a morning staple in the Colombian highlands, Ecuador, and Bolivia. An achocolatado is less a beverage and more a ritual: warming, grounding, and the first thing you reach for when the cold mountain air hits.

A small extra bonus a market vendor throws in on top of your purchase. In the Andean tradition, yapa is an act of good faith: you buy a kilo of tomatoes and they add a handful more without being asked. It signals that you are a valued customer and the relationship matters more than the exact gram count.

Freeze-dried potato made through an ancient Andean process that uses the intense nighttime cold and daytime sun of the Bolivian and Peruvian highlands. The result lasts for years without refrigeration and has been a staple of Andean cooking and home economics since pre-Inca times.

An indigenous spiritual healer who uses medicinal plants, rituals, and ancestral wisdom to cure physical and spiritual ailments. Shamans are the bridge between the human world and the spiritual realm.