The great Tanta Raymi, or Fiesta of Bread, is a traditional festivity carried out in Oropesa, a town close to Cuzco, every year in the month of October. The town is recognized today as the bread district of Peru and especially of the amazing chuta bread, in all their variety and different forms of presentation.
Amidst a great multitude of people on a day filled with sunlight and blue skies Oropesa carried out this festivity to honor their traditional product, bread, both because of its concept and because of its importance within the traditions of Cuzco.
The festivity was carried out in the town’s sport complex where there were around 50 stands that exhibited the deferent presentations of Oropesa’s bread. All of its bakeries were present, each with their own tradition and recipes. They also were competing to be named the best bakery of the year. Each has its own style and its bread has its own taste.
Though the pan chute is Oropesas calling card, still its bakers have been trying out new things. This year they offered new kinds of bread with great flavor and quality, such as the quinoa bread, kiwicha bread, and sesame bread, according to the representative of the Sumaq Tanta bakery who was one of the invited guests to this year’s Mistura festival in Lima, where there represented Cuzco and received honors.
As you might expect, the contest was carried out just as in other years. Along the way, the town offered an enjoyable and exciting concert wight he best of Cuzco’s music. Popular artists, such as Son del Cusco, performed along with many other groups. Tradition is tradition, especially when accompanied by a rich and refreshing Cusqueña beer and amazing traditional foods.
Among the most acclaimed dishes, with their typical flavors, were the cuy—the guinea pig— in all its presentations, chicharron (deep fried, crispy and seasoned pork) the chiriuchu (Cuzco’s most symbolic dish), the local merienda uchu, chicken soup, chair (a soup with freeze-dried potatoes) and many more which when I think of them I get hungry and my mouth waters.
It as fun to be there in the festivity which filled the population of Oropesa with pride. People enjoyed the day to its fullest. Thanks to the district of Oropesa for continuing to promote and share its tradition and passion to the fullest.
