Experience Pachamanca: A Culinary Ritual in Cusco 2025!

The Pachamanca is an ancient food that has transcended over time, which has resisted the invasion and also the new gastronomic wave that came to our country in the early 2000s.

But, the Pachamanca is undoubtedly a food that is worth seeing its preparation, to better understand the connection that the Incas and the Andean populations have with the PachaMama.

This peculiar food, apart from having different ingredients, has a unique way of preparation. And in this blog we are going to tell you everything you need to know so you can be prepared for your visit to Cusco.

Pachamanca - A chef carefully arranging meats and vegetables over hot stones for a pachamanca.

What is Pachamanca?

When we analyze the food tradition of the Andean and high Andean populations, we can see that they have a strong connection to the earth. The relationship between people and the natural elements that surround them is something more organic. Because the Andean cosmovision presents a very direct philosophy towards this part, without the earth man could not develop, without the sun and water in the same way. That is why the populations before the Incas, the Inca population and the contemporary population has generated this same tuning.

So, the pachamanca, being a food ritual in the Peruvian Andes, offers not only a mixture of different meats and ingredients that generate an explosion of flavors, but also provides history and a direct connection with mother earth (Pachamama).

Pachamanca - Steam rising from an opened pachamanca pit, revealing tender meats and golden potatoes.

What are the ingredients of Pachamanca?

Within the diversity of ingredients we find first the meats. They are the first to enter into the preparation of this food ritual. The meats once they are prepared and seasoned are placed in the pachamanca are:

Lamb
Chancho (pork)
Chicken
Beef
Cuy (optional)

Once the meats have been placed, the vegetables and tubers are placed on top:

Potatoes
Sweet potato
Corn (baby corn)
Beans

The seasoning of the meats is made with natural herbs from the Andean zone, so that they provide that unique flavor that the pachamanca has.

The spices that help us to reach this point are:
– Huacatay
– Chincho
– Garlic
– Cumin
– Salt
– Panca chili
– Yellow chili
– Vinegar or chicha de jora

A plate of pachamanca with lamb, chicken, potatoes, and tamales, served with fresh herbs.

Once the meats, vegetables and tubers are placed, the previously heated stones are placed to achieve the cooking of our ingredients, the placement of these is given by levels, to better distribute the heat and reach the flavor we want. Once all our stones and ingredients are placed, we proceed to close the hole previously made to place our pachamanca.

Once our pachamanca is covered, we wait approximately 2 hours to remove all our ingredients, being very careful not to damage our meats and tubers, which are the ones that get damaged faster when we do not take the necessary care.
Then we can proceed to serve our pachamanca to our guests and share this wonderful delicacy, which continues to resist over time and continues to provide charms in each new diner who comes to try it.

Pachamanca - Indigenous Peruvians in traditional clothing preparing a pachamanca meal.

Where can I find Pachamanca in Cusco?

As this food is more traditional, we will have to be more thorough when looking for this wonderful food. But as we want you to live the experience 100%, let us tell you that our agency serves this divine appetizer to all our visitors. This way, we make sure that your experience in Cusco will be amazing! You’ll not only get to taste this ancestral dish but also witness the authentic cooking process, prepared just as the Andean communities have done for centuries. Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and rich history, you’ll immerse yourself in a true cultural experience, making your journey unforgettable.

Pachamanca - A close-up of succulent, charred meat and golden potatoes fresh from a pachamanca.

Do not wait any longer to visit our magnificent city and the countless Inca sites that continue to endure over time, as well as its traditions, customs and typical foods, Cusco awaits you!