Many consider Peru to be the homeland of the peanut.

In the classic Peruvian dish, Ocopo, the two ingredients given to the world by Peru, the potato and the peanut, come together with the peppery peanut sauce spooned over boiled potatoes. This is a classic use of the peanut, roasted and ground, which appears throughout Latin America.

The potato forms the body of the dish and the peanuts enliven its flavor. Showing the European influence, milk and cheese are now part of the recipe. But before the proliferation of dairy products, the peanuts alone did the muscle work of adding protein to this dish.

While its roots are peasant, this makes a wonderful appetizer, or tapas-like dish, and if the spices are toned down, it's a great addition to kids menus.

Lesson: Ocopo The Peruvian mirasol pepper and the huacatay leaf (also called black mint or Peruvian black marigold), both indigenous, stamp this peanut sauce with regional flavor. In the contemporary kitchen, serve it as a vegetarian entrée, or in smaller portions as an appetizer.