Because it's not really known outside of the Andes region, I don't think there is a specific name for it in English, so I always just call it chocho.
I love eating chocho and usually get it with friends on Saturdays. It's great for a light lunch or pre-lunch snack, so we just sit around with a bottle of Coke or Inca Kola and some chocho to chat. I also love it because it is light and healthy, and very high in protein. As a vegan living in Perú, it's great to have something as tasty as chocho as an option.
Chocho can be bought from stalls as a street food, but many restaurants also serve it. My friends and I usually go to Superchocho. One Peace Corps friend of mine plays there some Saturdays with her band, which makes for an even better experience. On a weekend, asking some friends "¿Vamos a comer un chochito?" ("Let's go eat a little chocho") is a great way to spend a few hours and hang out.
The chocho bean itself is high in toxic alkaloids, which are compounds that can cause physical discomfort when eaten. To avoid these effects, chocho beans have to be soaked and rinsed for up to several days. A more traditional way of rinsing the beans involves putting them in a bag and submerging them in a running stream for a whole week. Afterwards, the beans can be cooked in boiling water.
To make the salad, cooked beans are simply mixed and served cold with the ingredients mentioned earlier. A popular variety of chocho is called cevichocho, which combines the famous Peruvian ceviche (a dish based on raw fish) with chocho ingredients.
