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Plant-Based Eating in Peru

Sharon Palmer

I just got back from an amazing trip to Peru. As the Plant-Powered Dietitian, it meant a lot to me to visit Peru, where so many fabulous, traditional super plant foods originate and flourish. After all, this is the land of quinoa, 5,000 types of potatoes, and Incan corn. In fact, potatoes and corn make up the cornerstone of the diet in rural Peru. I saw this with my own eyes. In the Andes, many farmers grow these foods, along with squash, fava beans, and many other plants, and they have a pig or cow in the field that they use for manure and for milk, but the animal is too precious to use for food. It is sold for a special occasion—a birthday or wedding. They have everything they need! And in the Andes, obesity rates are low and chronic diseases, too.

Cusco, Peru 

I know this was a touristy moment, but this little lamb was cute, as well as the local Peruvian girl in traditional dress.

Quinoa Everything 

I saw quinoa in everything in Peru, including in this popular beverage.

Coffee in Peru 

Coffee is cultivated in Peru, and I enjoyed my fair share of this dark, rich brew.

Cacao Beans, Peru 

Cocao beans (cocoa beans) are also cultivated in Peru, and I enjoyed lots of good, dark chocolate while I was there. Here are ground cocao beans at a local shop in Cusco.

Local Women with Herbs in Cusco 

As I was exploring the ancient city of Cusco, I spotted this local woman at the market. She was carrying this fragrant pack of herbs on her back to sell at the market. It made the whole outdoor market smell good!

Chicha, Cusco, Peru 

My first night in Cusco, we ate at this local hotspot, which is helmed by hot Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio. There was a whole side of the menu dedicated to plant foods from nearby Sacred Valley. I can’t even tell you how many plants grow in this rich growing region, and they were featured in this earthy dish, which included quinoa, leaves, forest mushrooms, and fava beans. It was so delicious!

Coca Tea, Hotel Monasterio, Cusco 

So, legend has it that the coca tea, made of the leaves from the coca plant, will help prevent altitude sickness, which so commonly prevails in high altitude Cusco. I drank it liberally during my entire stay in Cusco, and I didn’t get altitude sickness. We stayed at the lovely, 16th century Hotel Monasterio in Cusco, which was simply amazing. It really was an old monastery, and the walls are adorned with 16th century Spanish paintings, and a golden chapel welcomes worshipers on site. Meals are graced with opera performances, flute, and piano.

Dried Inca Corn, Cusco 

This popular snack is just everywhere. It kind of tastes like a cross between corn nuts and unpopped popcorn seeds.

Cusco, Peru

It really is a lovely city, isn’t it? The mountains form the backdrop for this old Spanish city built upon the foundation of an even older Incan city. Pretty parks, fabulous restaurants, cobble stone streets.

Market, Cusco 

I bought as many handmade textiles as I could muster in Cusco. The quality, color, and character were so fun!

 Plant-Powered Breakfast, Hotel Monasterio, Cusco

Check out this beautiful offering on the breakfast buffet at the hotel! I keep telling people you CAN eat veggies for breakfast, as they do in many cultures. Those yellow potatoes were so yummy, too.

Breakfast, Hotel Monasterio

Look at my lovely breakfast: local fruit, quinoa flakes, nuts, and Peruvian coffee.

Potatoes, Sacred Valley, Peru 

The Sacred Valley in Peru is named thus because it is so rich in agriculture. The original Peruvian religion and traditions have a deep reverence for Mother Earth (pachamama in Peruvian). Sacred Valley is enthroned by the soaring Andes Mountains, and the valley is littered with tiny villages with adobe brick homes and tile roofs—handmade by the locals. Ancient Incan terraces line the hills, and these serve to foster the farms, which are not irrigated—pachamama takes care of that. Here we have potatoes growing in a terraced small farm. All of the farms are tiny—it seems like everywhere you turn you see a small plot of something growing—nothing goes to waste!

Street Corn, Sacred Valley, Peru 

This is a typical sight: street food sold in the streets of villages. The Incan corn—with huge kernels, something like hominy—is a very traditional food and thought to be a very substantial lunch for just about anyone. Here a local woman is cooking the corn to sell on the streets.

Llamas and alpacas 

Of course, when you think of Peru, you think of these animals, and they truly are a huge part of the culture. Their hair is made into some of the fine textiles that have been created here for centuries. Aren’t they cute little guys?

Purple Corn Pudding 

This is a traditional dessert in Peru, I saw it several times. It’s made from purple corn thickened up a bit.

Quinoa, Sacred Valley 

Here I am perched on an old Incan terrace that houses a plot of quinoa. Our guide told us that people in Peru are still very close to nature and the earth, taking only what they need, and honoring it. In fact, it’s a common practice here to give the earth a “gift”—say the biggest potato or ear of corn for the season. It’s buried under the earth to thank pachamama. People still have rain dances during droughts.

Rainbow over Sacred Valley 

It’s the rainy season in Peru and I was chasing this rainbow all over Sacred Valley one day!

Incan Corn Salad 

I feasted on this traditional dish, which featured Incan corn, peppers, onions and lettuce. Yummy!

Corn, Sacred Valley 

It was corn harvest time in the Sacred Valley, which meant that we had so many good dishes featuring corn.

Bananas, Peru 

In addition to cultivated crops, there are many foraged fruits and vegetables in this region, too. And lots of fruits grow well in Peru, such as these small, sweet, bright yellow bananas. Just about every kind of fruit will grow in Peru, because it has such a huge, diverse growing culture with distinct ecosystems: mountain, dessert, valley, jungle, coast. They can even grow pineapple.

Sacred Valley 

On our train ride to Machu Picchu we followed this river, which feeds into the life-giving Amazon.

Machu Picchu 

Here we are at Machu Picchu, at last! This was such an inspirational moment for Peter and me. I have always wanted to experience this ancient, sacred site perched atop the mountains. When you enter the gate, and walk around the corner to this view, your heart stops and your breath catches for a moment. You just want to take it all in. How could something like this magical place exist? This ancient temple, high, high up, hidden away atop one of many mountains on the vista. How many more magical sites are there like this waiting to be discovered?

Plants of Peru 

These were sold at the tourist shops—I love the collection of so many life-giving plants that grow in abundance here, including beans, peas, grains, seeds.

Pichuberry 

I got to sample this beautiful, Peruvian fruit on the train from Machu Picchu. It looks like a yellow cherry tomato, but it’s sweet and slightly citrus in flavor.

Cumbres Beer 

Remember I told you they make everything out of quinoa? Well, there’s beer, too!

Avocado Salad, Cusco 

Look at this lovely salad I enjoyed at a local hot spot in Cusco. It was served with a berry vinaigrette.

Panchita, Lima 

Once in Lima, we enjoyed some local food. There are a number of renowned chefs making a name in Lima. This is a famous restaurant and it serves rustic traditional fare. Although it’s very meat heavy, they did feature some delicious veggie options, such as this veggie skewer with potatoes and corn.

Vegetables, Lima 

This is the land of 5,000 potatoes, and here are just a few different types I enjoyed during a feast at a farm in Lima one night. (This particular event was partially sponsored). Oh, I wish we had this assortment of potatoes at home. They all have their own unique flavor, texture, color, and taste.

Plantains, Tamales, Fruit, Lima 

Here are other samples of local fruit at my dinner. Note: They even made veggie tamales!

Fava Beans, Lima 

Fava beans are a local favorite, they turn up in everything. So nutrient rich!

Lima, Peru

Here I am, with the backdrop of an ancient Incan archeological site, at a sponsored dinner in Lima. How cool is this! There are archeological sites like this all over Peru.

The Plant Foods of Peru 

This arrangement on our dinner table was a perfect example, demonstrating the many wonderful plant foods that make up the nutritious, health-protective rainbow of plants grown in Peru.

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