The typical foods of the Peruvian Andes are a display of tradition and ancestral culture. With native ingredients and authentic flavors, each dish connects with the land. From pachamanca to cuy chactado, tasting these delicacies is a journey into the rich culinary heritage of the Andes.
Pachamanca: An Andean feast cooked underground
This dish is a true Andean celebration. Pachamanca is cooked in an underground oven with hot stones and combines meats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fava beans, corn, and aromatic herbs. Its smoky and tender flavor connects you with the land and tradition in every bite.
Cuy Chactado: Crispy delight from the highlands
This Andean classic consists of guinea pig (or cuy) fried until crispy. Cuy chactado, served with golden potatoes and chili sauce, is a true delicacy full of history that represents the ancestral connection to the Peruvian Andes.
Trout Timpu: An energizing soup
This delicious soup features fresh trout from Andean rivers, potatoes, and local herbs that give it a unique and comforting flavor. Trout Timpu is perfect for recharging energy and enjoying the pure taste of Andean nature.
Hominy broth or Patasca: Warmth in every spoonful
Patasca is a thick and nutritious soup made with hominy (corn) and beef or lamb, perfect for cold weather. Each spoonful fills you with warmth and flavor, ideal for the high altitudes of the Andes.
Fried trout: Freshness from the andean rivers
Andean trout, golden and crispy, is served with potatoes and salad. Fresh and mildly flavored, this delicacy, caught in high-altitude rivers, brings the authentic taste of the mountains to your plate.
Pork cracklings: Crunchy and traditional flavor
Prepared with fried pork and served with potatoes and hominy, chicharrón de chancho is a full experience of crispy and juicy flavors. It’s the perfect dish to taste Andean tradition at its most delicious.
Wheat soup: Nutrition and highland tradition
Wheat soup is thick, full of grains and chunks of potato, ideal for combating the cold of the highlands. It’s a nutritious and comforting dish, perfect for any time of the day.
Quinoa stew: The sacred grain at its best
This stew is a mix of quinoa, vegetables, and Andean spices, offering a smooth texture and unique flavor. This dish highlights quinoa, one of the sacred grains of the Incas, packed with protein and energy.
Olluquito with charqui: Perfect blend of ancestral flavors
Made with olluco (melloco), an Andean tuber, and charqui (dried meat), this dish is a combination of intense flavors and unique textures. It is a delicious and distinctive option, perfect for experiencing the traditional flavors of the Peruvian highlands.
Quinoa pudding: Dessert from the andes
This Andean dessert is sweet, thick, and delicious. Quinoa, cooked with lime to enhance its flavor, is mixed with sugar and cinnamon to create a warm and unique pudding, perfect for finishing a meal.
Broad bean chowder: A comforting dish for the cold
This fava bean soup combines potatoes, corn, and milk, creating a creamy texture and comforting flavor. Perfect for cold weather, chupe de habas wraps you in warmth and tradition.
Lamb broth: Energy and flavor in every bowl
Lamb broth, prepared with Andean herbs, is flavorful and nutrient-rich. Every sip is perfect for warming up and regaining energy, especially on cold days in the highlands.
Huatia: Smoky flavors from the highlands
Huatia is prepared by cooking potatoes in an earthen oven, achieving a smoky flavor and a soft texture. It is an ancestral delicacy that connects us with the rustic and authentic taste of the Andes.
