5 Bolivian Restaurants Serving Hearty Dishes in the DC Area

Llajwa. Cuñapé. K’awi. Mocochinchi. Unless you’re Bolivian, these words might not mean much to you. They don’t have the familiar contour of Spanish vocabulary—they come from Indigenous languages like Quechua and Guaraní—and haven’t entered the DC foodie lexicon as pupusa, kitfo, and pho have. But they belong there.

The Washington area has the largest population of Bolivians outside South America—somewhere around 60,000. Since their numbers began increasing in the 1980s, Bolivian immigrants found ways to gather around food: Backyard chicherias sprang up in Fairfax to serve fermented corn drinks. A Ballston Italian place had a semi-secret Bolivian menu. Cinnamon ice cream was scooped at community soccer games. Now the region is home to dozens of Bolivian restaurants.

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