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Peru
boasts one of the most exquisite and varied cuisines on
Earth, as local chefs have succeeded in adapting a
diverse variety of native ingredients while remaining
open to outside influences. Peru's cooking is an
invitation to discover flavors and fragrant smells which
are as authentic as they are ancient.
The
Andean Cuisine, heated in a firewood oven, earthenware
of the highlands gathers odors and flavors linked to
earth. Meats, tubers, grains and herbs are used in a
great variety of simple but tasty dishes.
Starters
include corn with Andean cheese, chochos (tarwi) salad,
"mote con chicharrón" or large white boiled corn and
"deep-fried" pork, "cancha" (roasted corn), "humitas"
(Ground corn and enveloped in its own leaves for
cooking), "papa a la huancaína" (boiled potato pieces
under yellow pepper and cheese cream) and "inchik uchu"
(boiled manioc with peanut, yellow pepper and coriander
sauce).
Cusco
has one of the best cuisines of the Peruvian Andes where
the use of the potato prevails. Remembering that this is
of Peruvian origin, and well developed since the
Incas,
being achieved the production at the present time of
more than 300 potato varieties.
Cusco's Typical Food
Main Courses
The
usual places to try food from Cusco are the traditional
restaurants called chicherias and picanterias where you
can eat typical dishes like:
"Timpo"
(Quechua language timpu = to boil) ,
Delicious soup, boiled with a piece of chest beef, lamb
head, bacon, besides cabbage, potatoes, chickpeas, rice,
yam, peaches, pears and yuccas. The broth is served
separately from the rest of the stew that is covered on
the plate with the cabbage leaves.
"Chuño Cola"
pottage of Inca origin. Delicious pottage elaborated
with a meat broth, rice, sausages, chickpea, potatoes
and potato starch. This plate is eaten with a stick
spoon, called huisilla. The potato starch, is a
sun-dried potato.
"Queso Kapche" (Kapche Cheese), pottage
preferred in the months of November and December,
prepared with green beans, potatoes, milk, eggs, cheese,
and pepper, with an onion seasoning, garlic and butter.
It is served with rice.
"Pepián de Cuy o Conejo"
(Pepián of Guinea pig or Rabbit): Dish prepared with
guinea pig pieces (or rabbit) fried in abundant oil, it
is cooked with an onion seasoning, red hot pepper, and
peanut. It is served with rice and boiled potatoes.
"Chicharrón con mote": pork
rinds fried in their own fat, served with hominy or
individual kernels of sweet corn.
"Humita": a sweet or salty
tamale, served without sauce.
"Tamal": a sweet or salty
tamale, served without sauce.
"Saralawa": soup of fresh
corn, lima beans, dry aji Amarillo (yellow hot pepper),
and huacatay (native herb).
"Adobo": pork marinated in
chicha and spices and cooked in a clay pot.
"Olluco con carne": Olluco
stew with jerky or llama meat
Restaurants in Cusco
In Cusco you will be able to find restaurants of
variety cuisine, from the cusqueña, chifas (Chinese food
with Peruvian style), meat, chicken, fast food and
international food. Restaurants of diverse categories
exist and also for all the budgets. The best restaurants
are located in the hotels 5 stars of the city and around
the Main Square.
Restaurants :
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Inka Grill: Portal de Panes St. 115, Main Square
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La Retama: Portal de Panes St. 123, Main Square
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El Truco: Regocijo Square
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Kusikuy: Plateros St. 348
Centers of Night Amusement
A good way of spending the night in Cusco is
participating of a folkloric show, in which musical
groups and autochthonous dances are presented.
Discotheques, pubs and bars also exist that usually
concentrate in the area of the Main Square, tourists of
different countries concentrate here where the variety
of languages and customs join causing an attractive and
pleasant atmosphere.
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