Cusco, in addition to being known worldwide as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and home to the great Machu Picchu, is also one of the cities in Peru with the greatest gastronomic richness.
In this city, more than 15 typical dishes of the region are made. Some are tasted daily and others on special dates; however, this article focuses on the 5 dishes you must try in Cusco. These dishes are selected due to peculiarity of preparation and ingredients.
Summary
Cuy al horno o chactado
The guinea pig was the first animal domesticated by Andean societies some 6 thousand years ago. Currently there are 4 varieties of domesticated guinea pigs and 1 non-domesticated variety that lives between 2,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level.
In Peru there are many ways to prepare the guinea pig, this will depend on the region or department you visit. These dishes you must try in Cusco, are made mainly in two ways:
Chactado guinea pig
It is a guinea pig fried in abundant oil, until it reaches a crispy point, under a stone that serves as a lid. It is usually accompanied with boiled potatoes, corn and chili sauces, such as huacatay cream. It is a strongly seasoned dish and one of its distinctive characteristics is that the animal is presented whole on the plate. It is a highly appreciated dish in the Andean areas of Peru.
Baked guinea pig
It is one of the favorite Cusco dishes by our visitors. In Cusco there are certain places that dedicate their work to the sale and preparation of this delicious Cusco dish, which can be accompanied by baked noodles, stuffed chili pepper, baked potatoes, among others.
Guinea pig Chactado
Grilled Alpaca
The alpaca is one of the most valued animals in Cusco, due to its fine fur and the softness of its meat. In the last 5 years, dishes prepared with alpaca have come into vogue and there are many ways to prepare them in restaurants in Cusco and Aguas Calientes.
One of the dishes you must try in Cusco is the grilled Alpaca, which comes accompanied with native fries, salad and uchucuta, a spicy Andean sauce. You can also try an Alpaca hamburger, Alpaca lomo saltado or the famous Alpaca chicharron that is sold on the rainbow mountain.
Grilled Alpaca
Chiriuchu
Undoubtedly one of the dishes you must try in Cusco, this dish is known as the typical flagship dish of the capital city of the Incas.
Etymologically, Chiri Uchu derives from two Quechua words, Chiri = Cold and Uchu: It refers to food, in this way we can translate it to «cold food».
This delicious Cusco dish can be enjoyed at any time of the year. However, the traditional date to enjoy the typical Cusco dish is during Corpus Christi or between the months of May and June.
Chiriuchu
Huatia
The Huatía cusqueña as one of the dishes you have to try in Cusco, it is typical to eat it between the months of June and July.
The particularity of this dish is that it is made in an artisanal oven made from the remains of hardened earth reinforced in the shape of a dome, which is heated with firewood to later bury various ingredients, such as potatoes, oca, broad beans, meat, etc.
Huatia
Nabo Jaucha
One of the dishes you must try in Cusco, yes or yes. After tasting this typical dish of the local families, you can already consider yourself one more from Cusco.
Haucha refers to cooked edible herbs. They can have different types of cooking, boiled or steamed. The dish contains fresh turnip, accompanied by well poured corn and Sangrecita. If you dare to try this highly nutritious typical dish, you can buy it at the Central Market of San Pedro in Cusco.
As we mentioned above, there are many dishes you must try in Cusco, however here we list the 5 most peculiar and representative of the region, that is, dishes that are not prepared in other regions or departments.
Nabo Jaucha
As the list falls short, here we list one of the dishes you must try in Cusco, one that can make you forget for a few minutes the intense cold of the city.
Dishes you must try in Cusco, a delicious Chairo soup
It is a traditional Andean soup from Cusco, its name means «type of food» and it was created by residents of that time since many of them dedicated themselves to work on the farms, work that lasted several hours a day, for that reason they sought a consistent meal that allows them to work continuously without feeling hungry. It was thus that they created this consistent and rich in vitamins soup.
The Chairo contains lamb meat, dehydrated beef or Charqui, sweet potato, morayas or chuño, peas, carrots, broad beans, mint, oregano, parsley, cumin and salt.
Chairo
Haaa!!!!!!! by the way don’t forget to try a delicious Choclo con Queso (boiled corn on the cob with cheese). You can buy it in any street corner in Cusco.
Choclo con Queso
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