Food & Cuisine in Machu Picchu
Food info sections | Eating locally
You will find plenty of choice in terms of cuisines and restaurants in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. Their décor is usually quite simple with a few eye-catching pictures and posters adorning the walls, and piped music playing in the background. The atmosphere however, is charged with interesting conversations among people who have come to Machu Picchu from all parts of the world to admire the diversity and richness of Inca culture. The restaurants in Aguas Calientes may not reflect the same standards as those in Cusco or Lima but they are warm and convivial and not as highly priced.
Whilst the local Peruvian food is delicious and filling, if you are looking for familiar foods, pizzas and salads are all time favourites and they can be washed down with beer or soft drinks.
Our Machu Picchu Restaurant Guide is a handy source of information for all you need to know about eating out in Aguas Calientes and around Machu Picchu. Familiarise yourself with the local cuisine in Peru before heading out to one of the many tasty restaurants in Aguas Calientes to try it for yourself! Check out our Machu Picchu Shopping Guide for some great gift and souvenir ideas and our Peru Restaurant Guide recommends some great food ideas to look out for as you travel Peru.
Food & Cuisine in Machu Picchu
Several culturally rich civilizations have flourished in Peru since time immemorial. Agriculturally, Peru introduced the potato and quinoa to the world and developed several varieties of chilli peppers, squashes, beans, peanuts and corn. Spanish colonists, immigrants from Europe and Asia, and Afro-Peruvians all brought in their culinary influences to Peru.
Popular Local Peruvian Dishes
A popular dish in Peru is the appetiser papa a la huancaina, which essentially is made of two boiled potatoes that have been halved, and served with cheese sauce, a few olives, hot pepper and a hard-boiled egg. It is a must for potato lovers. Quite similar to this is ocapa, which includes a creamy basil sauce and is quite hot too. Peruvian peppers are different from the Mexican ones. Aji Amarillo, for instance, is used in the flavoursome but not quite as spicy rocotillo chilli. For intensely hot food, try the fresh orange-pink salsa, which is similar to the habañero, intensity-wise. Despite the abundance of chilli peppers, a lot of Peruvian food is typical mountain fare - lightly spiced, and made of potatoes and meat.
Salchipapa is another delicious and popular appetiser - it is a platter of mini sausages and French fries. For an authentic Peruvian experience, try choclo peruano con queso. This giant corn is not very sweet but munching on the huge kernels is an interesting experience. It is usually served with a salty and rubbery cheese.
Ceviche mixto comprises fresh raw squid, shrimp, scallops, octopus, and conch marinated in limejuice, garnished with a dash of chilli and fresh cilantro, and served with a slice each of choclo, sweet potato and white potato. The skill lies in marinating the seafood for the right length of time - too long a duration will make it rubbery and hard, while too short a duration will leave it bland and smelly.
Aji de gallina is a hearty boneless chicken stew, similar to chicken à la king with hot pepper and served on a bed of rice. Another delicacy popular among tourists is Pescado a la chorrillana, which is fried Pollack served with creole tomato-onion sauce and chunks of oven-fried potatoes. Then there is Bistec a lo pobre, which is a tender cut of steak served with oily white rice and semisweet plantain.
Peruvian Desserts
The desserts are quite interesting and are all reasonably priced too. The hot rice pudding or arroz con leche, and mazamorra morada are delectable. Mazamorra morada is a jelly made with fine grain purple corn. It has raisins, prunes and a hint of clove. Budin is like a Middle Eastern dessert with chunky bread dunked in honeyed syrup. The Iberian-Arab relationship is also apparent in alcochofas, which are heart-shaped sandwich cookies filled with caramelised condensed milk or dulce de leche.
Drinks in Machu Picchu
Among beverages, try the Cuzqueña beer, which is a crisp light beer from Cusco, an area quite close to Machu Picchu. Argentine wines are also famous here. Peru is also famous for its Inca Kola, a brightly coloured yellow soda that tastes like bubble gum.
