Inti Raymi: a feast for the palate

Inti Raymi is celebrated in June and Cusco is filled with colors, music, dance, and tradition. This festivity is inspired by the Wawa Inti Raymi ceremony established by Pachacutec in honor of the Sun god (Inti, in Quechua) to ensure a year of good harvest and nourishment for the people.

Nowadays, the Festival of the Sun is the most important and well-attended celebration of the year for Cusco, and the traditional food of the Inkas is there, delighting local and foreign visitors with the most typical and ancestral dishes.

Here are some of the meals that are commonly consumed during these festive days.

Chiriuchu

This is the emblematic and traditional meal of the region, whose origins date back to the times of the Empire. Its name is composed of the combination of two Quechua words: Chiri = cold and Uchu = chili pepper.

Its ingredients are a combination of the three regions of the country: coast, highlands, and jungle. It is said that during the time of the Tahuantinsuyo, these ingredients were brought from the four suyos to be offered to the Sun god. Among them are boiled hen, oven-baked guinea pig, jerky or dried meat, tortillas or flour fritters, roasted corn, potatoes, cheese, blood sausage, seaweed, chorizo sausage, fish roe, and rocoto chili pepper for those who like spicy food.

Currently, there is an Association of Chiriucheras whose objective is to promote the consumption of this dish and highlight its nutritional value.

Chairo

It is a thick soup made with potatoes, chuño (freeze-dried potato), lamb meat, dehydrated beef, potatoes, peas, carrots, fava beans, spearmint, oregano, parsley, cumin, and salt. It stands out for being very hearty, flavorful, and nutritious.

It is said to have been created with the arduous and long days of the peasants in mind. For that reason, this soup is characterized by its non-perishable ingredients and its restorative quality.

Huatia cusqueña

A meal of pre-Columbian origin representative of the Inti Raymi celebration. It emerged as part of the gratitude rituals performed by the Andean people to the earth for the harvest produced.

It is a predecessor of Pachamanca and, like the latter, is prepared using the ancestral Andean technique of cooking underground. It consists of potatoes, ocas (a type of tuber), sweet potatoes, fava beans, corn, and cheese flavored with Andean herbs.

Pachamanca

It comes from two Quechua words: pacha, which means earth, and manka, which means pot, that is, pot of earth. It is one of the few meals representative of Inka culture that has endured to this day.

It is characterized by being cooked inside a hole made in the ground and, unlike Huatia, it includes meats such as beef, chicken, and guinea pig, in addition to tubers and herbs.

Quinoa soup

This is a dish recommended especially for tourists who are acclimatizing to the altitude of the city because it is easily digestible. It can contain meat or be a vegetarian soup.

Furthermore, it should be noted that quinoa is considered a sacred food by the Inkas and is famous worldwide for its high nutritional value.

Oven-baked guinea pig

The guinea pig is a species native to the Andes. Its meat has a high protein content and is low in fat, unlike chicken and red meats. Additionally, it is highly digestible and has low traces of cholesterol and triglycerides.

This traditional meal from Cusco is usually served with golden potatoes and salad. Nowadays, there are also variations where it is accompanied by noodles, stuffed rocoto chili pepper, among others.

June is the month of celebration in Cusco, the month of Inti Raymi and Cusco gastronomy. So do not hesitate any longer and visit the land of the Inkas, experience their traditions, and delight your palate with their ancestral delicacies.

Follow us on social media
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube