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Overview

Wallaqe

Caldo de Carachi, Wallake, Wallaque Paceño, Chaulla Wallaque

This wallaqe recipe makes the fish broth of the Lake Titicaca shores: whole small carachi simmered in a light, golden broth with yellow ají, koa and garlic, served with boiled potatoes and chuño in a deep clay bowl. It is the lakeshore's answer to the highland meat soups — lighter, quicker, and built on the lake's own fish. One serving is about 800 g.

Wallaqe — also called caldo de carachi, and in Aymara chaulla wallaque, in Quechua chaulla timpu — is the fish soup of the Lake Titicaca shores, cooked for the fishermen's families of La Paz. The fish is carachi, a small fish found only in the lake, though trout and pejerrey now stand in for it. Across the lake in Puno, Peru, the town council declared 5 November the Day of Chawlla Thimpu and Chawlla Wallaque, so the same bowl is celebrated on both shores.

Pairs well with: Serve hot with llajwa on the side and boiled broad beans, with the broth ladled over the fish

Provenance

Bolivia flag Bolivia

Lake Titicaca Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 5m

20m prep • 45m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

358 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 800 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Moderate (Whole Fish Soup)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Cold highland days, lakeside lunches, family gatherings, weekends Cost: Moderate — about $4–5 per serving at home
Tags: Fish Savory High-protein Soup
A clay bowl of golden wallaqe broth with whole carachi fish, dark chuño and potato, garnished with herbs, with dried chillies beside it

Lake Titicaca Heritage

Photo: Dea-cc-95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Moderate — about $4–5 per serving at home (USD)

A good wallaqe is a clear golden broth with whole fish, tender potato and soft chuño — never cloudy, overcooked or drowned in spice.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 5m
P

Soak the Chuño and Clean the Fish

20 Mins

Put the chuño to soak the night before, then rinse and squeeze it dry. Scale and gut the fish, rinse them well, peel the potatoes and chop the onion, spring onions and garlic. The active work takes about 20 minutes; the chuño soak is hands-off.

Maestro Tip: Clean the fish well — any trace of gut left in the belly will bitter the whole broth.

  1. 1

    Soak the Chuño Overnight

    8–12 Hrs Room temperature

    Put 150 g of dry chuño in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and leave it to soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours. In the morning, drain, rinse well and squeeze dry — it should weigh about 454 g and feel soft right through.

    Change the soaking water once if you can — it keeps the chuño from tasting sour.

    Done when: Chuño soft right through, with no hard, dry centre.

  2. 2

    Clean the Fish and Peel the Potatoes

    20 Mins Room temperature

    Scale the 16 fish, gut them and rinse well under cold running water; leave them whole with the heads on. Peel the 800 g of potatoes and leave them whole. Chop the onion and spring onions finely and crush the garlic.

    Leave the heads on — they flavour the broth and the cheeks are the sweetest meat.

    Done when: Fish clean and glistening, potatoes peeled and whole.

  3. 3

    Build the Golden Broth

    30 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Put the 1200 ml of water in a large pot with the chopped onion and spring onions, the garlic, the 30 g of ají amarillo paste, the 2 g of cumin, the koa sprig and the 5 g of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

    Keep it at a bare simmer — a hard boil clouds the broth.

    Done when: A golden, fragrant broth.

  4. 4

    Add the Potatoes and the Fish

    15 Mins Simmering, about 95°C (200°F)

    Add the peeled potatoes to the broth and simmer for about 10 minutes, until they are nearly tender. Lay the fish gently on top, spoon a little broth over them, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the fish flesh flakes easily and reaches 63°C (145°F). Do not stir hard, or the fish will break apart. In a separate pot, cook the soaked chuño in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes, and drain.

    The fish are done when the flesh lifts from the bone with a fork — a minute too long and they fall apart in the broth.

    Done when: Fish flesh flakes easily; potatoes tender right through; chuño soft.

  5. 5

    Serve in Deep Bowls

    5 Mins Hot, about 70°C (158°F)

    Lift 4 fish, 2 potatoes and a spoonful of chuño into each deep bowl, then ladle the golden broth over them. Serve at once, very hot, with llajwa on the side.

    Serve the broth in the bowl, not on the side — the fish and chuño need to swim in it.

    Done when: Deep bowls of golden broth with whole fish, potatoes and chuño.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Ladle the broth over the fish at the very last moment, so the fish arrive whole and the broth is still steaming — and put the llajwa on the table, not in the pot, so each person seasons their own bowl.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

358

kcal / serving

Protein

27g

Complete AA

Carbs

61g

Complex

Fats

2g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 800 g)
Energy358 kcal
Protein27 g
Carbohydrates61 g
Fat2 g
Fibre7.6 g
Sugar4.6 g
Sodium629 mg
Per 100g
Energy45 kcal
Protein3.3 g
Carbohydrates7.6 g
Fat0.3 g
Fibre0.9 g
Sugar0.6 g
Sodium79 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus from the fish, vitamin C and potassium from the potato, and iron from the chuño.

Lean Protein from the Lake

Each 800 g serving gives about 26.5 g of protein from the fish, with only about 2.1 g of fat — a light, filling bowl that does not sit heavy.

Fish, Potato and Chuño — Nothing Else

Whole lake fish, potato, freeze-dried potato, onion, garlic, ají and wild herbs: no cream, no stock cube, nothing you cannot pronounce.

Gentle Fibre from Potato and Chuño

About 7.6 g of fibre a serving comes from the potatoes and chuño — the highland starches that make the broth a meal, not a starter.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Vegetables

Boiled Broad Beans (Haba Puti)

The broad beans served beside the bowl in La Paz are the classic partner — their soft, earthy bite stands up to the fish, and they soak up the golden broth.

Sauces

Llajwa

A spoonful of llajwa on the side is how the lakeshore eats wallaqe — the raw tomato and locoto heat wakes up the mild fish broth without cooking into it.

More Pairings

Mote (Hominy Corn)

A small bowl of boiled mote beside the soup is the other highland accompaniment — chewy, mild kernels that stretch the meal and mop up the broth.

Drinks

Api Morado

A small glass of hot api morado after the soup is the highland way to finish — the sweet purple corn drink warms you after the light fish broth.

Complete menu

Serve wallaqe hot with llajwa and boiled broad beans on the side, and a small bowl of mote — the full lakeshore lunch, fish first and broth last.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Do Not Overcook the Fish

Small lake fish go from perfect to falling apart in a minute or two — simmer them gently and lift them out as soon as the flesh flakes, or the broth fills with bones. This is general information, not medical advice.

Mind the Small Bones

Carachi and other small lake fish are served whole, bones and all — eat them carefully, picking the flesh from the bones, and do not serve whole small fish to young children or anyone who has trouble with bones. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA light, hot fish soup — one 800 g bowl is a full, satisfying lunch on a cold day.
  • ChildrenChildren can enjoy the broth, potato and chuño, but whole small fish carry many fine bones — serve them fish flesh picked from the bone, never a whole fish.
  • ElderlySoft fish, soft potato and soft chuño in hot broth are easy to eat — serve the flesh picked from the bone and the broth well seasoned.
  • Pregnant womenFreshwater fish soup is a good source of protein, but eat only fish you trust to be fresh and fully cooked, and ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Breastfeeding womenA hot, protein-rich soup between feeds is a good choice — keep to one bowl and drink water alongside.
  • AthletesAbout 358 kcal with 26.5 g of protein a serving makes it a light, protein-rich lunch after training, with slow carbohydrate from the potato and chuño.
  • Weight gainAt about 358 kcal a bowl it is light for its size — add mote or broad beans on the side to add energy to the meal.
  • Weight lossAn 800 g bowl carries about 358 kcal with 26.5 g of protein, so it is filling for few calories — keep the portion to one bowl and go easy on the mote.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 60.5 g of carbohydrate a serving from the potato and chuño, so one bowl is a full portion — ask your clinician about a suitable serving.
  • High blood pressureSodium is about 629 mg a serving, mostly from the added salt — go easy on extra salt and ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Kidney diseaseThe soup is a protein-rich dish with potato and chuño; ask your clinician whether it fits your diet.
  • GoutFish and fish broth can raise uric acid, so one bowl rather than several is wiser; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Stomach issuesA light, clear fish broth is usually gentle on the stomach — eat it hot, in a small bowl, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseFat is only about 2.1 g a serving, which is light, but the salt is there, so keep to one bowl; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Fatty liverA light soup with about 2.1 g of fat a serving is a sensible choice, but the potato and chuño add carbohydrate — one bowl is the right portion; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Food allergiesContains fish. No gluten, egg, milk, peanut, tree nut or shellfish.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis is a traditional everyday soup, not a therapeutic food; anyone on a special diet should ask their clinician before eating it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Keep the broth, fish, potato and chuño in separate covered containers in the fridge.
In the fridge
Up to 2 days in the fridge; reheat the broth to a boil and the fish gently until steaming.
In the freezer
Up to 1 month for the broth only (without the fish or potato); thaw in the fridge overnight.
How to reheat
Reheat the broth to a rolling boil, about 100°C (212°F), then warm the fish and potato in it gently until steaming hot, about 74°C (165°F).
Freezing recommended
No — the fish and potato turn mushy when frozen and thawed.
Signs it has spoiled
A sour or fishy smell, cloudy broth, or slimy fish.

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