On the Menu in The Central Highlands

While outside influences have shaped other Andean villages, the isolation in the Central highlands have kept recipes focused on local ingredients and traditions. Huancayo's local specialty is papa a la huancaína (boiled potato covered in yellow chili-cheese sauce), served cold with a sliced egg and an olive. Pachamanca (marinated meat, vegetables, potatoes, and spices) is wrapped in leaves, then slow-cooked on hot stones in an underground oven. Huánuco favorites include picante de cuy (guinea pig in hot-pepper sauce), pachamanca, fried trout, humitas (a tamalelike food made of ground corn and stuffed with various fillings), and sheep's-head broth. Ayacucho is famous for its filling, flavorful puca picante (a nutty pork-and-potato stew), served with rice and topped with a parsley sprig. The city's favorite drink is the warm ponche (flavored with milk, cinnamon, cloves, sesame, peanuts, walnuts, and sugar).