History of the Dish
To understand how the idea of consuming a lamb's head originated, we must travel many years back, to Oruro, a place where even nowadays, the dish is prepared quite frequently.
It is there where the famous "llameros" came to sell lamb meat. At that time, everything was sold except for the heads, which were consumed by the llama herders to avoid wasting any meat.
They prepared it and accompanied it with pieces of bread to satisfy their hunger. And, as expected, this action usually sparked disgust and indignation among those who saw it in the act.
However, over time and through various periods of scarcity, people started giving this curious food a chance. Many were pleasantly surprised to discover its good flavor.
This is how its preparation spread from mouth to mouth and evolved, until it expanded throughout the entire country.
Curiosities
In 2012, the roasted face was declared a heritage of Oruro, the place where it originated.
Originally, it was only eaten with bread and chopped chili, but today, many variations have emerged, including ingredients like vegetable broth, ají, and onion, besides the classic ones.
Over the years, it has been considered a national heritage. It is even prepared during religious festivals, where it cannot be missing.
Many beliefs surround the preparation of this dish, to which a series of mystical benefits have been attributed, such as that during breastfeeding, it can help women produce more milk.
