seco

Seco is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese that generally means "dry" or "arid." It functions as an adjective describing weather, climate, textures, or foods, and it appears in expressions such as clima seco (dry weather) or temporada seca (dry season). The word derives from Latin siccus.

In culinary contexts, seco denotes a type of dish rather than a single recipe. In many Latin American cuisines, a seco is a meat-based stew or braised preparation that yields a thick, savory sauce. Variants exist in different countries, with ingredients depending on local traditions.

Common features of seca dishes include slow cooking of beef, goat, or chicken, with aromatics such as onion, garlic, and cilantro; and often the addition of beer or chicha to enrich the sauce. Peruvian and other Andean traditions have versions labeled seco de carne or seco de res that exemplify the category.

Beyond food, SECO is used as an acronym in various contexts, most prominently for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft). As a word, seco therefore has both linguistic and cultural reach across languages and regions, with meaning determined by context.