Most people come to Cusco for the stones. The walls, the ruins, the trails above the valley. Fair enough. But somewhere around day two, someone at the table goes quiet over a bowl of soup, and you can see the trip change shape for them.
Because the food here isn’t a side note to the history. It is the history, just warmer, and usually served with a little chili sauce on the side.
It starts with the potato
The potato began its life in the Andes, around Lake Titicaca, thousands of years ago. Today you’ll find them in every colour you can think of: purple, yellow, speckled pink, some no bigger than a thumb. Nobody agrees on the exact number of native varieties. Estimates run from three thousand to more than four thousand, and that alone tells you something.
Then there’s chuño. Potatoes get left out to freeze on cold Andean nights, trampled to squeeze out the water, then dried under the sun. Sounds rough, and it is, but it kept families fed through hard years. You’ll meet it in hearty soups and stews.
Corn, and what goes with it
Cusco corn has big, plump kernels. Boiled and served with a slab of fresh cheese, it’s a simple snack you’ll end up craving. Alongside it comes chicha, which is really two drinks. Chicha de jora is fermented corn and mildly alcoholic. Chicha morada is sweet, made from purple corn, and has no alcohol at all. Easy to mix up, so ask.
Pachamanca: dinner in the ground
The name comes from Quechua. Pacha is earth, manka is pot. Earth pot, that’s literally it. Stones are heated in a fire, then the food goes into a pit with them, gets covered with earth and is left to cook slowly. In the Cusco version you’ll usually find pork and mutton, potatoes, corn and humitas, seasoned with herbs like huacatay.
It takes time and a lot of hands. For many families it’s also a way of saying thank you to Pachamama, Mother Earth. If someone invites you to one, say yes.
Chiri uchu, the cold plate
Chiri means cold, and yes, the dish is served that way, on purpose. It belongs to Corpus Christi in June, and it piles onto one plate things from the coast, the highlands and the jungle: guinea pig, chicken, dried meat, sausage, corn cake, cheese, seaweed, fish eggs. A lot going on. Mostly a festival dish, so June is when you’ll find it everywhere.
And the guinea pig, since you’re wondering. Cuy is a celebration food in the Andes, not an everyday lunch. Curious? Try it. Not your thing? Nobody will mind.
Go to the market hungry
San Pedro market, close to the old centre, is where all of this comes together. Juice stalls, bread, cheeses, bowls of hot soup, piles of fresh herbs. Go in the morning, go hungry, take your time.
One tip for the first day
Cusco sits at around 3,400 metres, and your appetite can act strangely up there. Eat light, drink plenty of water, and save the big feast for when you’ve settled in.
How we think about it
When we plan a walk, the table matters as much as the trail. We send guests to restaurants that we, and our past clients, have tested ourselves. A long day on foot deserves a proper dinner at the end of it.
Tell us what you like to eat and what you don’t. Write to us, and we’ll set up a video call to plan your days in Cusco, on the trail and at the table.
