Llajua or llajwa is a hot sauce prepared from hot chili peppers known as rocotos and tomato. Sometimes onions are added, and one of two seasoning herbs cultivated especially for this purpose: kilkiña (Bolivian Coriander) in Cochabamba and wakataya in the Altiplano and other valleys of Bolivia. It is preferably prepared on a grinding stone called a batan, which can be found in most Bolivian households of Cochabamba and Altiplano. In the absence of a batan, it can be prepared in blender.
It is consumed all over Bolivia.
Llajua is used to season a wide variety of dishes. A traditional use is as a dip for plain cooked potatoes or bread, or an addition to soup prior to the main course. Food carts usually have it available for customers and for take-away food it is dispensed in small hand-tied clear plastic bags.
In the north of Chile (Arica and Iquique) the same sauce receives the name pebre, which in the rest of Chile refers to a completely different dressing.
The name "Llajua", despite being the traditional name for this recipe, was accorded trademark protection in 2008 by the Bolivian government.
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