To speak of typical dishes of Cusco is to speak of a gastronomy rich in flavors, history and tradition.
The typical dishes of Cusco carry the Andean and Spanish tradition in the preparation of their exquisite stews. It is a mixture of two trends that combine giving a delicacy of typical dishes in the Andes of Peru. The 100% Cusquenian gastronomy contributes with Peruvian ingredients such as potatoes, corn, quinoa, guinea pigs, chili peppers and various condiments such as huacatay or aji panca paste; while the Spanish gastronomy contributes with the use of meats such as mutton and pork. Likewise, the methods of boiling when elaborating meals.
In this blog we will talk about the most common typical dishes of Cusco on special occasions and/or festivals in the imperial city of Cusco, characterized for being dishes rich in protein and vitamins, such as the famous quinoa, alpaca meat, guinea pig meat, a great variety of vegetables and an infinite variety of potatoes.
The 4 most typical dishes of Cusco
Chiri uchu
The Chiri Uchu is the typical dish and flag of the city of Cusco you can find it throughout the city of Cusco especially in the feast of Corpus Christi Chiri. Uchu means cold chili or cold spicy, since this typical dish is eaten cold, according to several historians this stew dates back to the time of the Incas and the colony where strong flavors of all regions of Peru are mixed; the chiri Uchu combines ingredients from the coast, highlands and jungle of Peru is composed of seaweed, huevera, guinea pig, chicken, charqui, morcella, potatoes, corn torreja, cheese and rocoto.
El Choclo Con Queso : The delicacy of the Incas.
A perfect combination is the cholo with cheese, in other parts of the world they mix it with butter, others with mayonnaise but in Peru and especially in Cusco you will find in every corner the cholo with cheese which mixes the sweet with the salty. Peruvian corn has a particular sweetness and delicious flavor and a chewy texture that most people like.
If you are visiting Cusco, particularly the Sacred Valley of the Incas, we recommend you to taste the Choclo con queso de la chacra a la olla which has a particular sweetness. You can also find it in all the restaurants in the city of Cusco, especially between January and March, which is its season.
Baked pork or baked suckling pig
Typical dish of the Cusqueños that is normally served at important celebrations, such as baptisms, graduation parties, business openings, etc. The baked pork is served with moraya, tamala, oropesa bread and in some cases with stuffed rocoto, the suckling pig usually has to be well seasoned so it is prepared a day before and let it season overnight to have an exquisite taste and take it to the oven the next day.
Chairo
Hungry in Cusco? A chairo to kill hunger.
It is a traditional soup from Cusco, Chairo is a name of Quechua and Aymara origin that means “kind of vianda”. This typical dish was created by the farmers of Cusco to regain their strength and appease hunger after a hard day’s work in the field, so this soup is consistent, nutritious and very delicious but above all energetic, the main ingredients of this soup are: lamb meat, dried beef, potato, chuño, peas, carrots, beans, mint, oregano, parsley, cumin and salt.
Quinua Soup
In Cusco there is a great variety of dishes between main dishes and soups, most soups are made with wheat, quinoa and/or pumpkin.
Quinoa soup is one of the favorite soups for tourists when visiting Cusco and even when hiking to Machu Picchu because it is a light soup that is easily digested and contains a large amount of protein thanks to the quinoa.
Fried Trout
The traditional fried trout of the city of Cusco is made from fish, this can be river trout or sea trout.
This typical dish is consumed frying the trout and accompanying it with rice, boiled potato, yucca and uchucuta (chili) you can find it in all the restaurants in Cusco and in country restaurants that are around Cusco we can find it accompanied with sweet corn from the farm and fresh trout freshly caught as several of these restaurants have their own fish farms we are sure you will love it.
Olluquito con Charqui
The olluquito with Charqui is one of the most traditional dishes of Cusco and Peru recipes passed from generation to generation delighted with its flavor to Incas and viceroys, for its preparation has ingredients purely from the Andes Olluco and charqui are the main ingredients, the olluco is a tuber similar to the potato also known as potato smooth or simply smooth are small in size while the charqui is dehydrated meat of llama or lamb with plenty of salt.
Timpu o Puchero Cusqueño
Timpu or puchero. It is a typical dish at the time of carnivals was cooked since Inca times and was known in Quechua as Timpu (lamb food). It is a nutritious broth that takes various meats, vegetables, legumes and more, is now known in Spain and much of Latin America, however the difference of Puchero cusqueño lies mainly in the way it is served as in Cusco is served dry meat with vegetables, legumes, etc. and apart the broth.
Baked guinea pig
One of the main dishes of the highlands of Peru, especially in the city of Cusco, the guinea pig is an animal present in all the houses of the farmers of Cusco, in several occasions are dedicated to the breeding and sale of this animal because the guinea pig meat has 20% more protein than chicken or rabbit meat in addition to containing iron and very little fat.
The baked guinea pig in its preparation takes guinea pig pieces or it can be a whole guinea pig, aji panca, peanuts, corn, huairo potato, is one of the dishes that surprises more than one tourist with its unique flavor and its curious presentation.
The baked guinea pig is usually eaten in festivities or festivities of the people this dish is usually accompanied by typical drinks of the area as chicha de jora chicha morada or Cusquenian beer.
Sara Lawa or Maiz Soup
It is one of the most representative soups of the Andes, the word lawa means (cream of grains) is a delicious stew that is based on corn or ground corn from the Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most demanded dishes in cold days.
The dish has a thick consistency and is prepared with cheese, beans, yellow chili and huacatay. People eat it mostly during Holy Week, a time when the Catholic faithful abstain from eating meat out of respect for religious days.
Chicharron Cusqueño
Chicharron Cusco is one of the most sought after dishes by foreign tourists when they visit Cusco, the district that prepares par excellence the chicharron in Cusco is the district of Saylla, is just ask any local Cusco where to eat a rich local chicharron and they will name and tell you how to get to Saylla.
The chicharron is pork meat that is cooked with its own fat, that is the reason for its peculiar flavor. The dish is served with mote, french fries and creole sauce. It is worth mentioning that chicharron began to be sold around 1927 and 1928.
Adobo Cusqueño
The “Adobo Cusqueño” is a traditional Cusco dish made with pork, properly cooked in a reddish broth and spicy in medium term, so this dish is known as “levanta muertos” (hangover dish).
Generally, this traditional dish is usually prepared for festivities such as baptisms, first communion, holidays or special calendar days and is usually served with oropesa bread.
Puchero
The puchero is a traditional dish that is served during carnivals in the different cities of Peru between the months of January and February. The puchero of the city of Cusco also known as Timpu contains cabbage, carrots, peaches, lamb meat, moraya, yucca and chickpeas; it can be accompanied by a spicy chili bell pepper and of course a hearty broth of lamb meat, which helps with good digestion.
If you are in Cusco, during the carnival festival you will be able to observe and taste this delicious dish in all the districts of Cusco.
