Casa Díaz

Ancestral Cuisine

In Seclantás, the most unnoticed little town in the Calchaquí Valleys together with La Poma, a family house opens its doors to visitors and offers authentic regional Salta cuisine, inspired by grandma's recipe book.

Two small tables in the gallery facing the street, another two in a small inner room and three more in the small inner courtyard welcomed us.

Following the instructions on the small sign, we rang the bell next to the front door. Pío appeared, placed us and told us about the proposal of the house: traditional dishes, use of local products, in particular the fresh vegetables from the farm garden at the back of the house and, of course, a sacred respect for the recipes.

That Sunday noon we had no idea of the feast that awaited us.

To begin with, the empanadas, loaded, juicy, very "salteña", with a spicy sauce of cayenne bell pepper and tomato.

We accompanied them with a salad of freshly harvested greens, marinated with a homemade vinaigrette, although those crunchy leaves invited to be enjoyed without any dressing.

But nothing like the taste of the "humita en chala", which was simply incredible, so creamy, with its finely ground corn and the company of fresh goat cheese. Yes, it was so delicious that @tripticity_, for once, had to break her usual reluctance to goat.

Then, we had to try the goat stew, an authentic dish of traditional Argentinean cuisine.

For dessert, there was only room for a small walnut and dulce de leche bonbon dipped in fondant. It was there when Pío treated us to a homemade "mistela" (sweet wine) in a glass and the conversation that followed allowed us to learn about his history, that of his father Alejandro and -in short- that of Casa Díaz. That is, the family of the famous Pío Pablo Díaz, whose discoveries on archaeological sites are internationally known and part of that collection is exhibited in the picturesque Museum of Cachi.

Today Pío takes up his legacy with his project to respect colonial flavors.

Then, oblivious to the threat of rain that was coming from Los Cardones Park, we strolled through the farm and entered the store where northern delicacies are offered, such as pickled grapes with grappa, cayote and tomato jam and various preserves. There, before leaving, Pío treated us to a glass of "ulpada", a drink from Salta's regional recipe book that serves to regain energy, in our case, to go to the majestic Recta de Tin Tin and down the Obispo slope. Made with toasted corn flour, sugar and water, it was a genuine memory of childhood flavors, when we were leaving school and the street candy carts were waiting for us, offering "picolé", "gallinita rellena", "chancaca" and, of course, the little bags of sugared corn flour. What nostalgia!

Before returning through El Colte, on the Artisans' Road, we walked around the cobblestone streets of Seclantás, where the color pink stands out, not only in the Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, but also in its beautiful cemetery, with an impressive view.

The illusion of returning soon to Casa Díaz was already invading us, because without a doubt it became one of those unforgettable places that @tripticity_ will always highlight. We arrived with the desire to get rid of our hunger and we left filled with a trip through time, enjoyed in a first-class gastronomic key.