The restaurants and cafes around the Plaza de Armas are the place to find all the international snacks you could want, from greasy burgers to pizza, sandwiches and even Chinese food, or at least the Peruvian version of China Food, the “Chifa”. .
But what would a stay in Cusco be without the typical Peruvian specialties? A very special delicacy for us Europeans is Cuy, guinea pig on the grill! This is incredibly delicious, you just have to abstain from eating the animal directly on the roasted face.
Alpacas are also on the Peruvian menu and surprisingly they taste tender and juicy meat. At night, when it’s colder and you want something really hot, try Lomo Saltado, a kind of pan with tomatoes, onions and many spices served on a bed of chips and rice.
Many restaurants offer daily menus that include a soup, a main dish and a drink. Speaking of drink: instead of cola, you will find in many restaurants “Inca Kola”, a kind of lemonade flavored with tutti-frutti. And Chicha Morada, a drink made of lilac corn and spices, is also very popular here.
Instead of beer, you will often find the “Andes beer”, Chicha, which is also made from corn instead of hops and malt.
Cusco has a variety of restaurants that offer the richest and most traditional meals for visitors and locals. Some of the most outstanding dishes include: Timpo or Puchero, a traditional dish consisting of a beef breast, leg of lamb, bacon and legs, whole cabbage leaves, potatoes, moray eels, chickpeas and rice, with pears, peaches, sweet potatoes and cassava cooked separately.
Other lekkereien are:
Chuño Cola: this typical dish is eaten in all seasons. A meat broth with sausages, chickpeas, potatoes and rice with chuño flour.
Pepián de Cuy: guinea pig meat cut into pieces and cornmeal fried in oil, with garlic, onion and red pepper dressing. Granulated rice is served for this purpose.
Rocoto relleno: Rocoto filled with peanuts, raisins, peas, minced meat and annealed with beaten egg.