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
Decorating the Uchu with Huacatay
By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)
For many people cooking is a fun way to spend time and forget about the woes of life. But eating the food is even more enjoyable. It and cooking, as in other parts of the world, are also explorations deep into the heart of our customs and traditions. Read the rest of this entry
A Glass of Chicha Blanca with Cinnamon on Top
By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)
Chicha is a refreshing and nutritious drink that we love in Cuzco. It is a gentle drink with a low alcohol content that is made artisanally in Cuzco. There are different kinds of chichas, from the most known, chicha de jora, or fermented corn chicha, to an un-fermented chicha made from purple corn called chicha morada. Chicha is also made from other ingredients, such as kiwicha or as we shall describe today, chicha from quinoa. We call this white chicha or chicha blanca. Read the rest of this entry
Aji de Gallina with Rice
By the Sunday Chef (translated by David Knowlton)
Golden ají de gallina, shredded chicken and ají, is the favorite dish of many Peruvians, especially children. Strange enough it is not the fried food they usually clamor for. Instead the creaminess of a yellow ají sauce combined with chicken broth makes them delirious with pleasure when they taste it. Read the rest of this entry
Freshly Made Picarones
By the Sunday Chef (translated by David Knowlton)
Picarones are: an aroma of cinnamon and anise, soft and crisp at the same time. Tasting their syrup mixed with the texture of the picarón composes a symphony of flavors that starts an explosive crescendo on our palates. Just describing the famous picarones sounds like a poem that comes from the soul.This exquisite desert is traditional in Lima, Perú. Read the rest of this entry
Irma Aquise Bocángel de Muñiz (Detail of 1991 Book Cover)
What do mayonnaise, guinea pig pipián, stuffed pot roast in a Coca Cola sauce, spinach filled raviolis, and chiffon cake have in common? They are all found in a classic cook book from Cuzco, Cocinando con Irma or Cooking with Irma. Written by Mrs. Irma Aquise Bocángel de Muñiz it has gone through various editions and remains a classic in the Peruvian repertoire and especially in its Cuzco variant. Read the rest of this entry
Frozen Limonade
By Hebert Edgardo Huamani Jara and David Knowlton
It is hot and you are thirsty. Maybe you have been walking around, shopping, or even playing soccer. Something is needed. It should restore liquid, give minerals and vitamins, make you relax and feel refreshed. Read the rest of this entry
Carnival: Dancing Around the Yunza
By Hebert Edgardo Huamani Jara (translated by David Knowlton)
Carnival is a feast filled with color and tradition. People perform typical dances of the region around the yunza tree, with traditional costumes from their various locales that are filled with symbols and colors. There joy and love come together through the dialogue of colored, rolled up streamers opened around the necks and shoulders of dancers like a sharing of happiness. Read the rest of this entry
Humintas
By David Knowlton with help from Brayan Coraza Morveli
What is yellow and white, folded over, ancient and modern? An huminta, of course, one of the amazing delicacies of the Andes. And, this is the time of the year to enjoy it. Read the rest of this entry
Tarwi and Fish at San Pedro Market
By Hebert Egardo Huamani Jara (Translated by David Knowlton)
Cuzco, like the rest of the Andes, has food plants that are new to the rest of the world. The potato came from here and it changed the course of the world with what it offered. But there are others, such as a little yellowish seed that is capable of soothing hunger and nourishing the body in a natural and healthy way called tarwi. Read the rest of this entry
