Seco de Cordero and Frijoles with Rice

By Arnold Fernandez Coraza (translated by David Knowlton)

Cuzco’s people work at a whole range of jobs. Some of them are more delicate office-based work, and some require lots of strength and energy. One example of this last group are the albañiles, people who work laying brick and doing construction. For lunch, they opt to eat legumes, menestras as we call them. Besides enjoying something pleasing, they fill themselves with the energy to allow them to work hard the rest of the day. Read the rest of this entry

Crispy Torrejas

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

As June approaches, you will hear many of the people of Cuzco start talking about one of the most famous typical dishes known in our region, chiriuchu. That name belongs to Quechua, the language of the Incas, and it means “cold food”. Read the rest of this entry

Kiwicha Growing

By Walter Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

An Andean grain, Kiwicha is experiencing a boom in exportation these days. Because of its great nutritional and medicinal value it has attained a much higher percentage of consumption outside Peru, while in its country of origin its use is declining as more and more people go to the cities. Read the rest of this entry

Uchu of Peas

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

The delicious dishes of Cuzco’s cuisine require a diversity of ingredients, not just native products of the area but also ones from around the world, a bit of culture. In any case, each ingredient plays a very important role in the final flavor of the food.

An ingredient that always seems present in Cuzco’s kitchens is peas. They are perhaps the most popular vegetable in the whole world, since they are found in the worlds shared gastronomy. Read the rest of this entry

Fresh Carrots

Cuzco’s cuisine inherits a wide range of dishes with flavors that have developed over thousands of years. Thanks to the ample production of foods our Earth Mother offers us we are fortunate to possess a great variety of ingredients, vegetables, grains, and fruits, which allow us to make our distinguished traditional dishes.

Our markets hold the best products. To walk through them is fascinating.They are a museum of food and enclose history and stories that only our caseras, vendors, disclose. Read the rest of this entry

Enjoy the Loquat Fruit on Its Different Desserts

By Arnold Fernandez Coraza (translated by David Knowlton)

As long as the rains keep falling the fruit trees continue to produce. An example is the loquat. It is a small and round fruit with a very agreeable scent and refreshing flavor. It has a thin, yellowish peel. It is used in both sauces and desserts. Read the rest of this entry

Muña Tea

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

The cold of Peru’s highlands is like a living presence. It plays important roles in life in the highlands. Our ancestors used it like a natural refrigerator to preserve food in large quantities. Products such as potatoes, corn, and meat were transformed by the cold to last for a long time and help sustain life. However there are also healing plants that come from the cold lands. Read the rest of this entry

Papa a la Huancaina

By Arnold Fernandez Coraza (Translated by David Knowlton)

Though well known throughout the world, the peanut, called maní in South American Spanish, forms a key part of Cuzco’s cuisine. We eat it raw, toasted, or fried. It is seemingly everywhere. Read the rest of this entry

Balls of Llullucha with Squash and Tarwi seeds

By Walter Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

The rainy season is ending in Cuzco, taking with it the foods of the wet season. One of those foods is a small globule that grows close to springs, pools, and rivers in Cuzco. Called lluchucha, it is an edible bacteria known as nostoc commune to scientists. While most eaten in China, llullucha is part of our ancestral heritage in Cuzco and we love it. We eat it in different dishes, such as in soups, part of main courses, and in salads. Read the rest of this entry

Hey Casero! Take Some Bananas

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

Vino Canchón is the largest market in the City of Cuzco and its major wholesale market. Located in the district of San Geronimo, this market supplies the whole city as well as nearby districts such as San Salvador and Urcos. Read the rest of this entry