Taste and distinction: Food and culture in southern Peru

01.09.2023 - 17:03 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Titicaca

Hugging the Andes mountains, Southern Peru continues to celebrate its age-old customs and traditions. Cities like Cusco, Puno and Arequipa proudly preserve ancient festivals and culinary techniques (think masked paraders paying homage to the Sun God and ceramic pots stacked on wood-fired ovens), making each an extraordinary destination for travelers craving authentic experiences.

While Inca heritage, mystical landscapes and high-altitude crops link these three cities, each also has a unique flavor and spirit. Follow along on this cultural and gastronomic tour of Southern Peru, starting in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, then on to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and ultimately making our way to the White City of Arequipa.

Editor’s note: This itinerary covers high-altitude areas of Peru. If possible, before you start this itinerary, it is advisable to spend time in lower altitude parts of the region and acclimatize before exploring the higher elevations in Cusco.

Strolling the narrow streets of Cusco, travelers are often taken aback by the stellar show of colonial architecture that abounds in the high-altitude (3400m) city and former capital of the ancient Inca Empire. Here Inca constructions, usurped by the Spaniards in the 16th century, are literally the sturdy foundation for places like the Archbishop’s Palace (originally the residence of Inca Roca and home to the famous twelve-angle stone) and the Santo Domingo monastery (which sits atop the sacred Inca temple, Qoricancha).

Add to your walking tour the archaeological park Sacsayhuaman and imagining Cusco as the imperial city it once was becomes effortless. This immense site of both religious and military significance is the most impressive in the immediate area around Cusco. 

While the advanced architectural engineering of the Inca has stood the test of time, so too have some of the empire’s grandest cultural festivals. Inti Raymi is the annual Sun Festival held each June – in time with the winter solstice – to pay homage to the Sun god, Inti. Established by Inca Pachacutec around 1430 AD, Inti Raymi draws crowds from all over Peru, as well as performers who recreate the festivities of dance and music.

One highlight of Cusco’s Inti Raymi festival is the timeless dish called chiri uchu – a sampler of Andean delicacies including potatoes, corn fritters, guinea pig and dried alpaca meat. Chiri uchu is a dualistic name that literally translates to ‘cold chili pepper,’ because it is served cold in honor of the hot sun. It’s most often washed down with a glass of chicha de jora, a fermented corn beverage prized by the Incas and continues to be a staple in local culture.

Many locals of the Cusco highlands stick to the Andean diet which is