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Home » Bolivian Recipes

Llajua (Bolivian Spicy Sauce)

Published: Aug 1, 2018 · Modified: May 29, 2020 by Lizet Flores de Bowen

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Llajua or Llajwa, is a staple, fresh and spicy sauce for any Bolivian household.

Every Bolivian house has a jar of fresh llajua. It is one of those spicy sauces that are on the table for every meal. It is a fresh sauce, made almost daily. Very simple and with few ingredients.

Each region and each house has its own recipe. Some add onions to it, others oil, parsley and/or quirquiña, but the two ingredients that are always present are tomatoes and locoto (habanero pepper).

Since we don't have locoto in Paraguay, at least not in my garden, I used these small chili peppers I had on hand. The important thing is that it needs to be fresh peppers. chili peppers, parsley, tomato It is said that the best llajua is the one made using a batán (mortar and pestle). The texture is not as liquid as when we used a blender. So if you have a mortar and pestle, use that instead.

How to make llajua?

This is a tomato base llajua. Add a tomato to the blender, some parsley, and blend. If you're not sure how hot the peppers you're using are, you might want to start with half a pepper, blend, try your sauce and add more to your liking. Finally, add some salt and serve.

How to serve llajua?

Llajua is usually served with savory dishes. With soups. With barbecue chicken or beef. With empanadas or meat patties. With hamburgers. With hot dogs. My favorite is, on a piece of French bread with some peanut soup (Bolivian soup). Note: This recipe was published for the first time on March 18, 2016, on my old blog. As we celebrate Bolivia's independence in the month of August, I thought it was a good time to update my Bolivian recipes.

See you on Friday for more delicious Bolivian recipes!

If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below! and share your picture on Instagram with the hashtag #chipabythedozen

Recipe

Llajua (Bolivian Spicy Sauce)
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Llajua (Bolivian Spicy Sauce)

Llajua or llajwa, a fresh Bolivian spicy sauce. Great with hamburgers, soups or hot dogs.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Bolivian
Servings: 8 Tablespoons
Calories: 10kcal
Author: Lizet Bowen

Ingredients

  • 1 medium tomato
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1-5  fresh chili peppers  (habaneros)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add tomato, parsley, and half of a chili pepper to a blender.
  • Blend for 1 minute and taste for spiciness. Keep adding peppers to your liking. Add salt and serve.

Notes

Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal
Llajua (Bolivian Spicy Sauce)

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jessica

    June 06, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    OMG, I love this spicy sauce! I've been putting it on everything.

    Reply
  2. Swathi

    June 04, 2022 at 3:38 pm

    I would love to make it as I love spicy sauces, this is new to me.

    Reply
  3. Angela

    June 03, 2022 at 6:35 pm

    Wow! So easy to make and adds so much flavor.

    Reply
  4. frugal hausfrau

    August 03, 2018 at 2:40 am

    I love this! It might become a staple in my home, too. Pinning!

    Mollie

    Reply
    • Lizet Flores de Bowen

      August 03, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Hi Mollie. Thanks for pinning! I'm glad you like it. It's just too easy to make. Enjoy!

      Reply

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Lizet's photo, creator of Chipa by the Dozen.

Hello! I am Lizet.

Welcome to my blog. This is a collection of the most beloved recipes between my family and friends. Some are my own creations and some are copycat from the many found on the internet, but with a twist using ingredients I can find in Paraguay. I hope you enjoy them!

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