What are the typical dishes of Cusco?
Cusco is not only a city where culture and history have a significant presence, but it is also a region of Peru that vibrates thanks to its unique and traditional cuisine.
The typical dishes of Cusco take us on an extraordinary culinary pleasure journey that is worth highlighting, and in this blog, we tell you about the top 10 dishes that you cannot miss when visiting the imperial city.
Typical Foods of Cusco
Andean culture has a lot to offer the world in terms of gastronomy. This time, we invite you to get to know each of the typical dishes of Cusco that cannot be missing from your visit. If you want to have a complete experience of food and culture, you can take any of the Cusco Tours that we offer.
Let's see the best selection of dishes you must try in Cusco!
1. Chiri Uchu
Chiri Uchu is a dish that perfectly represents Cusco's cuisine and is greatly enjoyed by both locals and visitors. It is said that this preparation originated in the Anys or collaborative family work system, as after finishing work, each community shared its best foods with the rest, forming a combination of many meals.
Currently, this dish includes main ingredients such as hen, guinea pig, carrot, leek, pepper, huacatay, seaweed, sausage, fresh cheese, or rocoto. All this is mixed with an egg tortilla with corn flour, pumpkin, and chopped onion. This dish begins to be prepared one day in advance with the cooking of the guinea pig and hen.
This preparation is quite common during the month of June, during Corpus Christi, so you cannot miss it if you are doing the City Tour of Cusco right now. Generally, it is eaten cold and stands out for its extravagant and spicy flavor. Mostly, Chiri Uchu is accompanied by traditional purple corn chicha or chicha de jora.
2. Baked Guinea Pig
If you are a lover of exotic dishes, you have to try Baked Guinea Pig, which is one of Cusco's specialties. This dish has roots in pre-Inca history, making it one of the most representative. The guinea pig is a rodent native to the American Andes and has been part of the indigenous diet for many years.
Currently, Baked Guinea Pig is one of the typical dishes of Cusco that attracts many tourists. Its preparation requires a clean guinea pig, which is the protagonist. It also includes other ingredients such as minced garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, ají panca, jora chicha, bay leaves, and vegetable oil.
Traditionally, it is served with boiled potatoes and salad, although this may vary from person to person. This delicacy, so significant for the imperial city, usually goes very well with a wheat Cusco beer or a classic regional soda, which can be lemon verbena for the winter season.
3. Chairo
If you're reading this in June, you're likely feeling the cold during winter in Peru, so a good chairo wouldn't go amiss. This typical dish is a delicious thick soup that contains local ingredients and offers a unique tasting experience.
This preparation was born to meet the needs of farmers to endure long workdays away from home. At that time, Chairo gave them enough energy and vitality. Previously, it was prepared with long-lasting foods, but the dish has varied a bit to this day.
This soup is made with chuño (freeze-dried potatoes), sweet potato, dehydrated beef, beans, mint, carrot, lamb meat, oregano, cumin, salt, and parsley. Its flavor is delightful, combining spices with meats. This delicious typical dish can be accompanied by a delicious purple corn chicha.
4. Chicharrón Cusqueña
This is another typical dish of Cusco that you can't overlook. The history behind this preparation dates back to the time when slaves were brought from other countries by the Spanish to the Andean region. Once they achieved their independence, they began to raise pigs.
At that time, lard was used to grease preparations, while chicharrón was a derivative secondary product. The current dish is made based on pork, hominy (dried corn), mint, boiled potatoes, onion, anise, and chili. It's worth mentioning that in Cusco, the Chicharrón Festival takes place, making it a relevant dish.
The pork meat prepared in this way is juicy and fresh, which combines perfectly with the rest of the dish for a completely enjoyable gastronomic experience. The ideal drink for this delicious meal is a purple corn chicha or also chicha de jora, although some prefer a craft beer.
5. Cusqueño Adobo
Cusqueño adobo has its origin in colonial history and is prepared on important dates for the city's inhabitants, such as birthdays and other celebrations. Although it may seem like a heavy dish for lunch, the reality is that this adobo is eaten as a traditional breakfast.
Its ingredients are quite complete, resulting in a preparation with exquisite flavor and a juicy texture. For the preparation, it is necessary to use pork meat, chicha de jora (a traditional Peruvian corn beer), bay leaves, fresh rosemary, onion, whole rocoto peppers (a type of chili pepper), pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, red wine, ají panca (a Peruvian chili pepper), and garlic.
This popular "hangover cure" breakfast is perfect for overcoming a hangover after a night of celebration in the city of Cusco. The red and slightly spicy broth is one of the best local preparations you can try. Generally, it is usually accompanied by a hot infusion.
6. Quinoa Soup
Quinoa is a superfood that is widely consumed in Peru. History highlights that quinoa cultivation began around 3000 B.C., making it one of the oldest grains in the world. Particularly, tourists visiting Cusco prefer this soup, as it is very light and has a pleasant taste.
The preparation of this typical Cusco dish is quite simple. The necessary ingredients are quinoa, onion, leek, garlic, vegetable broth, cilantro, oregano, diced carrot, squash, lima beans, salt, and pepper to taste. Simply combine all these ingredients to get a truly healthy soup.
Both purple corn chicha and infusions are good options to accompany this soup. It is worth noting that it is a great alternative to consume during winter in the imperial city.
7. Fried Trout
Fried Cusco trout is another flagship typical dish of Cusco. This city also has proximity to the sea and rivers, so they can extract fresh marine products for such preparations. Among other things, this preparation stands out for its fusion of marine flavors with the indispensable sarsa criolla (creole sauce).
The ingredients for preparing fried trout are quite simple, making this dish an ideal option for a quick lunch. Only a clean and fresh trout, pepper, garlic, lemon, and salt are required.
The ideal accompaniment for this marine delicacy can be white rice or boiled potatoes and tomato salad with lettuce, although it is also perfect with sarsa criolla. As for drinks, there are several options to choose from such as traditional purple corn chicha or a lemon verbena infusion, which is quite popular in the cold season.
8. Corn with Cheese
If you haven't tried the wonders of corn with cheese, it's a good time to do so and discover why it's one of the typical dishes of Cusco. A particularity of this snack is that Peruvian corn has a unique sweet flavor that combines perfectly with the salty taste of cheese.
This dish is not a main meal as such, but rather a snack that you can enjoy at any stop during your visit. While it is true that corn can also be found in other cities, the one from the Sacred Valley is the best of all. The preparation is simple and only requires tender corn, water, anise, and cheese.
As it is a snack, corn with cheese is not accompanied by any additional dishes or complements. As for the beverage, depending on the season, people usually have lemonade or infusions.
9. Níspero Sweet
Within this list of typical dishes of Cusco, a dessert cannot be missing, and this place deserves the traditional níspero sweet. The history of this sweet is quite interesting, as it is said that this fruit used to be very abundant during carnival time, so mothers decided to start preparing it until today.
The recipe for this dessert is very simple and only requires a few ingredients starting with nísperos and sugar. In addition to this, the preparation includes lemon. Its flavor perfectly combines the sweetness of the níspero with the acidity of the lemon, providing a pleasant experience for the palate.
This dessert is served cold and is preserved in small jars or glasses. This preparation is not usually accompanied by any additional food or typical regional beverage.
10. Braised Pig’s Feet
We conclude our countdown of the 10 typical dishes of Cusco with the popular "zarza de patitas" (pig's trotters stew). This dish is made from pig's trotters and its origin dates back to the Inca era. Generally, it is a preparation that can be found in any "picantería" (traditional eatery) in the region.
The ingredients for this preparation are the indispensable pig's trotters, garlic, onion, bay leaf, tomato, "papa cancha" (a type of Andean potato), vegetable oil, bell pepper, oregano, parsley, and mint. The blend of flavors in this dish allows for a truly formidable gastronomic experience.
Pork meat, in general, can be accompanied by hot beverages such as lemon verbena or chamomile infusions. However, purple corn chicha and craft beer are also good choices in these cases.
Are you ready to taste the best of Cusco's cuisine?
Cusco's gastronomy is truly extensive; however, we have made this selection based on the preferred options for locals and tourists when it comes to dining in Cusco.
We hope that this list of typical dishes of Cusco is to your liking and that you can try them all during your visit. Enjoy your meal!