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.

A hot fish head broth taken to cure a hangover or an upset body. In Peru, chilcano is the most popular morning-after remedy — it cleanses from inside and brings you back to the world.

A little extra — the bonus amount or small gift a vendor throws in on top of your purchase at a market. Yapa is the Andean tradition of generosity: you buy a kilo of tomatoes and they add a handful more. It's an act of good faith, a way of saying you're a valued customer.

A white freeze-dried potato from the Andean highlands, a key ingredient in Bolivian cuisine. Softer than chuño, tunta absorbs the flavors of stews like nothing else.