The mighty camelids of South America – llama, alpaca, vicugna and guanaco.

In the Jujuy province in the north-west part of Argentina, en route to the Salinas Grandes (the great Salt Plains), we spotted these agile, graceful beasts – the diminutive vicugna.

The camelids are herbivorous animals. They do not have hooves, but possess two-pronged toes, and have long slender necks.

Llamas and alpacas are domesticated animals while the vicugnas and guanacos are wild. Llama meat is commonly eaten in Argentina.

So when in Rome…

Llama loin, red pepper mirasol sauce, small stone potatoes, and corn in basil essence

…do as the Romans do.

Cooked…

Llama carpaccio

…or raw.

Not quite chicken. Less gamy than beef, and tender in texture. It was our virginal experience at Jose Balcarce in Salta, a restaurant which serves exceptional Andean cuisine, concentrating on fresh and local produce.

Yacare meat in roasted lemon sauce, mashed pumpkin and goat cheese

And if llama meat doesn’t suit your fancy, there is always yacare meat. (Yacare is a species of caiman from the alligatoridae family.)

Jose Balcarce
Necochea 590,
Salta,
Argentina