What to Eat in Cusco: Andean Dishes and Drinks to Try
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Cusco’s cooking is rooted in the high Andes: hearty, warming and built on ingredients that have been grown in these mountains for centuries. Think giant-kerneled corn, countless varieties of potato, grains like quinoa and meats that suit a cold, high-altitude climate. Here is what to look for when you sit down to eat.
Andean Staples: Quinoa, Corn and Potatoes
Quinoa is everywhere, and in Cusco it is comfort food rather than a health trend. Look for sopa de quinua, a thick, soothing soup that is especially welcome on a chilly evening, as well as quinoa salads and quinoa-crusted dishes on more contemporary menus.
Then there is choclo con queso: an ear of Andean corn with huge, chewy, mildly sweet kernels, served with a slab of fresh, salty cheese. It is a classic snack sold at markets and roadside stands, especially around the Sacred Valley. Peru is also home to thousands of potato varieties, and you will find them boiled, dried, stewed and fried throughout your trip.
Meats of the Highlands
- Alpaca — a lean, tender red meat, often served grilled as a steak or in medallions. It has a mild flavor and appears on many menus in town.
- Cuy — guinea pig, a traditional Andean dish with deep cultural roots. In the Cusco region it is typically roasted whole until the skin crackles. It is a celebratory food for many families, and trying it is a genuine taste of local tradition.
- Chicharrón — Cusco-style chicharrón is chunks of pork cooked in their own fat until crisp outside and tender within, often served with mote (hominy-style corn), potatoes and fresh mint.
Rocoto Relleno
The rocoto is a fiery, thick-walled red pepper, and rocoto relleno stuffs it with a savory mix of minced meat, onions, spices and often egg and olives, then tops it with melted cheese. The dish is most closely associated with Arequipa in southern Peru, but it is popular across the region and easy to find in Cusco. Kitchens usually blanch the peppers to tame the heat, but it can still bite.
Chiri Uchu: A Festival Feast
If you visit around Corpus Christi, one of Cusco’s most important festivals (usually in late May or June, following the church calendar), look for chiri uchu. The name means “cold chili” in Quechua, and the dish is served at room temperature as a grand, many-part platter.
It typically brings together roast cuy, chicken, sausage, dried meat, cheese, fish roe, seaweed, a small corn fritter and toasted corn, all arranged together. It is a dish of abundance, gathering ingredients from the mountains, the jungle and the sea, and it is very much a festival specialty rather than an everyday order.
What to Drink
- Coca tea — mate de coca, brewed from coca leaves, is a traditional Andean infusion that many locals and travelers sip at altitude. It is widely offered in Cusco. Note that it can show up on drug tests.
- Chicha morada — a sweet, non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn, simmered with fruit and spices such as cinnamon and clove, served cold.
- Emoliente — a warm herbal drink sold from street carts, often made with barley, flaxseed and herbs, and sweetened to taste. A cozy choice on a crisp morning.
Eat Your Way Through San Pedro Market
The Mercado Central de San Pedro, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas, is the best place to see Cusco’s food culture up close. You will find fresh juice stalls blending fruit to order, piles of Andean potatoes and corn, cheeses, breads, herbs and simple lunch counters serving soups and set meals.
Go in the morning, when it is busiest and freshest, and keep an eye on your belongings in the crowds. It makes an easy stop on a walking day; our 4-day Cusco and Machu Picchu itinerary shows how to fit it in.
Practical Wrap-Up
At altitude, many travelers find it helps to eat lighter meals for the first day or two and save the richest dishes, like chicharrón, for once they have adjusted. Drink bottled or treated water, and approach street food with the usual common sense. For more on where to wander between meals, see our Cusco guide.
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