Peruvian Lamb Dish Kankacho Ayavireño Gains Protected Status

Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property (Indecopi) recognized kankacho ayavireño, a traditional lamb dish from the Melgar province in the Puno region, as a Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (ETG). The dish has maintained its original recipe through generations of culinary knowledge transfer. Indecopi intends this designation to protect the recipes, knowledge, and traditional methods that constitute Peru’s gastronomic and cultural heritage.

This recognition makes kankacho ayavireño the tenth ETG granted nationally, ensuring the preservation of its authentic preparation and ancestral practices. The name “kankacho” comes from the Quechua phrase meaning “well-roasted meat.”

The dish is traditionally prepared with lamb seasoned with a ground marinade and cooked in a wood-fired oven, served with native potatoes, moraya, and other regional root vegetables. Its preservation is largely thanks to the work of women in Ayaviri who have maintained the recipe and passed it down through generations.