A skewer of marinated, grilled beef heart that's a Peruvian tradition. Anticuchos are eaten on the street with potato and ají sauce, and they're gastronomic heritage.

A thick, hearty soup from the Peruvian Andes made with potatoes, meat, corn, and other comforting ingredients. It's the ultimate soul-warming food for cold mountain nights.

A person from western Bolivia, La Paz, Oruro, or Potosí. It's the counterpart to camba and reflects Bolivia's rich cultural diversity, where the highlands and lowlands have very distinct identities.

A sycophant or bootlicker who gets close to power through flattery and servility. From the Quechua word "llunku" meaning groveling or subservient, this term is deeply embedded in Bolivian political and workplace culture, always with a heavy negative charge. The llunku will say anything to stay in good graces with whoever is in charge.

In Peru and Bolivia, someone who acts with authority they do not actually have. A chapita plays the role of someone in charge when they are clearly not, throwing their imaginary weight around and blocking things they have no real power over. The word refers to a badge or insignia, suggesting the authority is purely decorative.

Boiled corn or wheat eaten as a side dish or snack, an Andean staple with deep roots in Bolivian, Ecuadorian, and Peruvian food culture. Mote is comfort food at its most fundamental: filling, humble, and present at almost every traditional meal in the highlands.

In Bolivia and Peru, to get lost or completely disoriented in a vast open landscape with no visible landmarks. The wide plains, high altiplano, and foggy rural stretches make it easy to lose your sense of direction entirely.

In Bolivia, to cheat on an exam using any method available: a hidden cheat sheet, your phone, peeking at a classmate. Borrowed from the English "to juke," it is a well-known survival strategy in stressful academic moments.

A pig or hog, and also what you call someone who is messy, gross, or has no hygiene standards. Used across Peru, Bolivia, and Chile both literally for the animal and figuratively for anyone who acts like one: eating sloppily, keeping a dirty space, or simply not taking care of themselves.

A boy, kid, or teenager in Bolivia. A warm, everyday term for a young male with no negative connotation. It is simply the common Bolivian way to refer to a young guy, equivalent to "kid" or "youngster."

Baby or very small child. A Quechua word used naturally in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador with warmth and tenderness. Even Spanish speakers with no Quechua background know exactly what a wawa is. The love built into this word is unmistakable.

Guinea pig that's eaten roasted, fried, or baked in the Andes. For tourists it's shocking; for Peruvians, Ecuadorians, and Bolivians, it's a traditional delicacy.

A wild night out or big party. "Irse de farra" signals a real commitment to the evening: music, drinks, good company, and a rough morning after. In Ecuador the go-to word for the most intense nightlife, no soft version implied. Also used in Bolivia and Argentina.