Yummy looking photo and thanks for sharing info, too!

Ah, the memories.

Ajíaco is also a traditional Cuban dish. Although, more like a rustic, rich-flavored stew, than soup. With big chunks of tropical root vegetables e.g. malanga amarilla, yuca, ñame, pretty much anything lingering in the back of the fridge.

Meats are typically chicken, flank steak, or pork. Tasajo (smoked dried beef) is also commonly used. And, as with most Cuban dishes, Ajíaco is always started with sofrito.

I posted a picture and the recipe I use on W.F.D., about 20 years ago - the recipe was much better than my picture at that time, so I'll sidestep it ☺

In any case, I don't recall ever seeing, or hearing of guascas on the island. But perejil (parsley) and sometimes culantro (not cilantro), and fresh oregano were used.

The photos above look wonderful! And makes me want to prepare Ajíaco this fall.

Sol

You could try purslane if you want weeds in your soup. Or dandelion greens. Most wild greens taste alike to me, not that much flavor.

Here's a little more on papa criolla potato, including why it isn't grown in the US.

Papa Criolla is NOT a potato variety, but is the definition of a class of cultivars typically grown in Colombia and now researched as fresh tubers in the USA to prepare the traditional Colombian dish Ajiaco.

People of Colombian heritage are looking for these fresh tubers to replicate the texture and flavor of their homeland. The problems to grow these tubers in the USA at higher latitude are the length of day and the shorter season.

These tubers need 150 - 200 days to build up tuber size, and the vines are used to equal length of days vs nights in Colombia, while they suffer with our long summer days. With these challenges in mind the US Genebank is trying to develop varieties which eventually should produce decent crops under our Northern growing conditions.

At the Kenosha Potato Project we are growing these cultivars as part of the Exotic Batch in organic compost and report back to the US Genebank our findings about tuber flavors'

The skin colors range from dark yellow to red, with red yellow bi-color patterns. The flesh is a very dark yellow, almost orange.

Kenosha Potato Project

(Need to scroll down the linked page.)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Sorry, it has taken me a while to get back here.

Sol -- thanks for the info about ajiaco also being a Cuban dish. I looked online to refresh my memory about culantro. I think we bought some once, but I was used to cilantro and prefered that.

I pinkmountain -- funny. I bet a lot of weeds taste alike. The hares and cottontail rabbits in our yard seem to think there's a difference. I have not yet tried our dandelions, purselane, and smartweed.

Ci_lantro - Wow! Thanks so much for all of that information. I _knew_ that there had to be a good reason why those papas criollas were not in our markets. They are so delicious and I bet more than a few hundred people returning from visits to Bogota' have risked secreting them away in luggage for their own use. I'll have to read and learn more about why they cannot be grown in the US. Maybe in Denver? Even so, we need more imports. I've been thinking or ordering some from online, but how would they remain frozen for an affordable price? Hmm.

That POTATO PROJECT link is interesting. I've planted whole Kennebec (Maine) potatoes and ate them after digging them up -- no drying outside. Delicious; especially the small ones. I see a lot of fingerling and even blue potatoes at the farm market. I'll probably go with those. I am about 45 miles from Boston, but I think there is a Colombian enclave in East Boston. Kind of a trek for soup.

My bit of the weed galinsoga has dried. Not tasted it yet. I think l pinkmountain is going to be right -- it's just going to taste like one more lawn weed. I don't think the Bogota housekeeper/cook used it. She did use the papa criolla, cow corn, chicken, cilantro and capers (maybe crema). Guess I'll have to make a few batches ;-)

Another soup I want to make soon is the Greek avgolemono -- chicken-lemon soup with orzo or rice. I've had it served cold and served warm.

Another is vichyssoise. Love it. I froze some last September and served it hot in February. Yummy.

Thanks again, folks. If I make the ajiaco, I will post photos and a review or notes.

Last week I made mussels -- moules mariniere -- and the leftovers were great. I found some mussels (Mytilus edulis) for $1/pound that were super fresh and plump. I bet it would freeze well. I need to make space in my freezer!