Inca cuisine

The Inca civilization stretched across many regions on the western coast of South America (specifically Peru), and so there was a great diversity of unique plants and animals used for food.

The most important plant staples involved various tubers, roots, and grains; and the most common sources of meat were guinea pigs, llamas, fish, and other aquatic and terrestrial organisms (305-307).

In particular, the mountain ranges in Peru provide highly varied types of growing zones at different altitudes, explaining why there were many terraces built for agriculture.

Among the food products made from the Peruvian camelids was sharqui, strips of freeze-dried meat, the origin of modern-day jerky.

Afterwards, it was cooked for another ten minutes in heated sand and ashes then gutted, thus making it to be consumed immediately or preserved for up to a year.

Limpets, skates, rays, small sharks of the genus Mustelus, mullets and bonito were among the fish caught off the Peruvian coast.

Like other American peoples, the Inca ate animals that were often considered vermin by many Europeans, such as frogs, caterpillars, beetles, and ants.

Archaeologists have interpreted the purpose of the site as a location that solely caters to feasts and ceremonial events, rather than as a place of permanent settlement.

The wide variety of materials used, and the large number of present mortars, demonstrates the location’s important role as a place of mass production.

Adaptation and flexibility are essential to prioritizing how culinary practices are carried out to best represent the cultural values held by a community.

[26] In order to properly honor the transition from preparation to consumption, the Inca used ceramic vessels as a way to add artistic and cultural value to the dishes being served.

[25] Specifically, through use of isotope analysis, archaeologists have discovered a relationship between maize consumption and status of combatants who lived in Majes Valley, a pre-hispanic region located in the Andes.

In remains of combatants found in the region, archaeologists used tooth enamel to assess the presence of a high maize-consuming diet.

Location was chosen strategically for the purpose of securing a cooler area characterized by higher ventilation to prevent rotting of perishable items.

[24] Storehouses quickly became a valued practice for the Inca, but were limited at times when communities prioritized local growth of foods, instead.