THE 10 MOST POPULAR TYPICAL DISHES OF PUNO - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The typical dishes of Puno are the reflection of the mixture of the Inca culture and the Spanish culture. Many of their dishes are similar to those of Bolivians, Argentines and Chileans.

Among the most outstanding typical dishes of Puno are the Chupe de quinoa, the Huarjata, the Pesque de Quinua, the fried suche, the Chairo Puneño, the Cancacho, among others.

For its part, the dish called Cancacho consists of a suckling pig or lamb cooked in the oven, macerated in water with salt, cumin and chili.

The quinoa fish is a quinoa puree seasoned with milk and cheese, and the Chairo is a soup of beef and lamb, potatoes, squash, wheat, chalona, ​​and cabbage or cabbage.

List of 10 most popular typical dishes of Puno

1- Cancacho (roast suckling pig or lamb)

Cancacho is a typical dish that cannot be missed in the festivities of Puno. For its preparation it is taken from a suckling pig or a lamb and macerated with oil, garlic, chili, lemon and cumin one day before cooking.

Ingredients

-A pig or a lamb

-Ají paprika

-White wine

-Half bottle of oil

-Salt

-Pepper

-Cumin and lemon.

Preparation

Take the suckling pig or lamb and put it in a large bowl so that it fits completely in the container with salted water and chili pepper, and leave it overnight. The next day salt, pepper and cumin are added.

Then a thin layer of paprika is added and it is bathed in wine and oil. Finally it is placed in a roasting pan and put in the oven.

Subsequently, the suckling pig or lamb is completely sprinkled with the lemon juice. This dish can be accompanied with baked or fried potatoes and lettuce salad.

2- Quinoa Fishing

Ingredients

-Quinua

-Cow milk

-Eggs

-Butter

-Two types of cheeses

-Salt and pepper

Preparation

Once the quinoa is washed, it is boiled, beating it from time to time. Then when it has boiled and the water has been consumed, the milk is added without stopping beating and it is put on a low heat.

Later, the butter, beaten eggs, the two types of cheeses are added in slices or diced and at the end the salt and pepper are added. You have to be very careful so that it doesn't burn.

This dish can be served as an accompaniment to a steak.

3- Chairo

Chairo is a soup prepared with lamb meat and chalona (dried meat).

Ingredients

-Mutton

-Chalona

-Carrots

-Celery

-Onion

-Dad

-Chuño

-Zapallo

-Garlic

-Salt and oregano

Preparation

In a pot, place the lamb meat and the chalona together with the chopped onion, garlic and salt to taste. Then everything is boiled until the meat is cooked.

Later, the broth is left alone and the meat is put in a separate container. Carrots, potatoes, chuño and squash are added to the broth, chopped into long and thin pieces or as desired by the cook.

Once all the greens and vegetables are cooked, add the meat again and boil for three to five minutes. When served oregano is added to taste.

4- Fried suche

The suche is a fish found both in Lake Titicaca and in the rivers of Puno.

This dish is simple to prepare; first the fish is cleaned and seasoned with salt and cumin and finally fried. The suche is accompanied by salad of lettuce, potatoes or rice and some add lemon.

5- Huarjata or head broth

This dish is prepared with a head of pork or lamb. This must be chopped into pieces and put in a pot with water, onion, garlic and salt. Then the potatoes and chuños are added.

6- Fricassee

Ingredients

-Pork meat, usually the rib is used

-White onion, chopped

-Green onion, chopped

-Ground bread

-Garlic

-Chili pepper

-Salt, cumin, pepper and oregano

Preparation

First the pork chop is lightly fried with the onions, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt.

Then boiling water is added and cooked until the ribs are tender, about two hours.

When it is almost ready, the ground bread is added to give it thickness.

7- Thimpo of Carachi

The carachi is a fish found in Lake Titicaca.

Thimpo de carachi is practically a fish soup to which whole potatoes and chuños are added. It is seasoned with onion, garlic, chili and salt to taste.

8- Chicharrón of alpaca

For this dish, alpaca meat is used by cooking it in water until it dries, and then browning it with the fat that the meat itself produced.

It can be served with chuño or with potato.

9- Suck on Quinoa

Ingredients

-Quinua

-Potatoes

-Meat

-Zapallo

-Broad beans

-Celery

-Onion

-Butter

-Garlic, parsley and salt

Preparation

First the meat is cooked with the quinoa in a pot with water and salt. Then the vegetables are added along with the garlic.

Meanwhile a dressing is prepared with the butter, the onion and some minced garlic and it is added in the pot. When serving, parsley is added to each plate.

10- Pachamanca or Huatía

La Huatía is a typical dish from Puno and other Departments of Peru, which is prepared in an earth oven.

It is usually done during the months when it does not rain -May and August-, because the land needs to be dry.

To prepare the earth oven, a hole must first be dug and stones are placed in it, which will later be heated with firewood. Potatoes, cassava, sheep meat or fish are cooked there.

Everything that is placed in the oven must be wrapped in thick paper and once there the oven is buried, that is, the hole is covered with earth and left there until it is ready to be eaten.

References

1. Cancacho: Puno's typical dish. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from perurail.com
2. Peruvian Typical Food by Rgion- Puno. Retrieved on October 25, from arecetas.com
3. Tourism in Puno - Gastronomy Puneña. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from hotelespuno.com
4. Peru Gastronomy. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from southernperuexplorers.com
5. Peruvian Gastronomy. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from viajes-peru.com
6. Top 10: Things to eat in Peru. Retrieved on October 25, 2017, from nationalgeographic.com