This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1870 edition. Excerpt: ...disgusting; but having been often described by former travellers, since it is in common use in many parts of South America, I need not further refer to it than to state that it is not alone appreciated by the Indians; for the whites and Europeans in Bolivia, as a rule, take to it with apparent relish. Chicha is also made from the quinoa seeds. In some parts a fermented drink is made by the Indians from the sweet stalk of the young green Indian corn, called "huiru" (wiru): this is the name of the stalk. Of late years, however, the establishment of large manufactories on the coast of Peru for the distillation of "chancaca," or unrefined sugar and molasses, has sent in great quantities of a very inferior white rum, or "aguardiente" as it is called, amongst these Indians, and is rapidly doing great mischief amongst them. The two main dishes of the Aymara cuisine are the chupe and the chairo. The former of these is common all over the northern countries (at least of the Pacific coast) of South America, and consists of a soup made with potatoes and any flesh or fowl which may be to hand, as well as any other vegetables convenient, never omitting to add some red-pepper pods. The chairo, however, is peculiar to the highlands of Bolivia and Peru, its fundamental ingredient being chuno instead of potatoes; and to this, as in the case of the chupe, any flesh (generally of the llama or sheep) or fowl is added. Although, from the dirty-looking leather-like fragments of chuno which mainly compose it, the chairo has at first a far from inviting aspect, which certainly would not recommend it at a European table, a taste for it is soon acquired, and it is even relished by the traveller who visits the inhospitable Puna of...