Potatoes are one of the most consumed foods in the City of Cuzco. It and its varieties constantly find their way into the typical dishes of Cuzco’s cuisine. It is also used in the daily fixed lunches offered throughout the city, such as the chuño lunch, the wheat berry lunch, and chaquepa lunch, and more.
There are many kinds of potatoes, in various colors, sizes, and tastes. Each has different roles to play in different dishes. Here are some of the names of the different potatoes found in our city and its provinces. These include la papa huairo, la papa canchan, la papa mariva, la papa seca, la papa compis, la papa peruanita, la papa ojos rojos, and more.
All of these potatoes make our food so tasty. They make up unique combinations and are necessary for our food. They give them a great quantity of vitamins, proteins, and to satisfy hunger with their starchy structure.
The peruanita and the mariva potatoes are the most fluffy. They are most used for mashed potatoes. This is a delicious food made from potatoes and butter along with different particular touches from each cook. It is generally served with white rice.
The compis potato is one of the most used of potatoes in Cuzco, whether in lunches or in main dishes such as the delicious estofado de pollo, chicken stew. That is a dish made from a combination of ingredients served with boiled potatoes and the ever present white rice.
The papa ojos rojos, the red eye potatoes, take their name from the small wholes in its body and are used only for frying the same as the canchan potato.
In the highlands, the traditionally dressed women of these zones make up a different preparation each day. One of those is fried trout accompanied by small peruanita potatoes. Only people who live there or travel there get to enjoy this delicious food.
Finally, this wonderful food given to us by our earth mother (the pacha mama) is also used to cure physical blows. You cut the potatoes in thin rounds and place them on the bruises so that the potato can absorb and cause them to disappear.
