Cusco Culinary | Peruvian Cooking Class Review

One of the best ways to experience a new culture is to get a taste of the local cuisine. An easy way to do so is to ask your server what they recommend from the menu when you’re eating out, but if you’re interested in a more in depth introduction to a region’s food, there’s no better way to learn than by signing up for a cooking class!

Continue reading below for an overview of a Peruvian cooking class hosted by Cusco Culinary.

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While there are a few professional services from which to choose from, this guide outlines the morning cooking class hosted by Cusco Culinary. The menu slightly varies by if you sign up for the lunch hour class or dinner hour, but both include a tour of the famous San Pedro Market and 3-4 courses.

Peruvian Cooking Class

At the start time of your class, you’ll meet your chef outside of the San Pedro Market, located on Thupaq Amaru street. San Pedro is the oldest and most well-known public market in Cusco. A popular tourist hub, you can buy anything from coca candy souvenirs to fruit smoothies to deli meat at San Pedro. But if you truly want to experience it like a local, plan to sit down and eat a meal at one of the many stands towards the back of the market.

As part of the cooking class package, your chef will give you a short tour of the market as you shop for the ingredients that you will use to prepare your food later in the day. They will also provide you with the opportunity to sample some of the items as you go.

Once you’ve gathered all of the necessary ingredients from the market, you’ll walk a few blocks to Cusco Culinary, located on San Andres street. The kitchen is located above a cute restaurant called the Wasicleta Casa Cultural y del Ciclista.

Cusco Culinary has three general areas: a preparation space where you will help create your meal, a cooking space where the chef makes sure everything’s edible by doing it all themselves, and a dining space to enjoy the final dishes. To start the class, you’ll begin with the drinks – a tasty Pisco Sour. The Pisco Sour is a famous Peruvian alcoholic drink – if you prefer not to drink, you can simply ask for a substitute.

Once your drinks are set, you’ll begin to work on the food. The first dish is a delicious quinoa based tomale. Quinoa is a longstanding staple in the Andes, and used in many dishes. You’ll mix it with some yellow chili paste & onions, then tie it up in a corn husk with a nice bow. When they’re done baking, you’ll then top it with a mixed salsa.

The tomales take some time to bake, so while you wait you will begin to prepare the second dish: Papa a la Huancaina. Potatoes in huancaina sauce is considered a classic Peruvian dish, and one you shouldn’t miss while visiting. The chef serves this dish topped in several vegetables to make sure you get your daily serving in for the day 😉

Another traditional Peruvian meal, your third dish is probably the most well-known of the region: ceviche. Ceviche is a serving of raw fish that is cured by a citrus fruit (usually lime or lemon) instead of traditional cooking. You will prepare three versions of this plate: classic ceviche, Japanese ceviche, and traditional ceviche.

Once you’ve had your fill, it’s time for the last and best course – dessert! As our chef liked to describe it, dessert is essentially a tour of unique Peruvian fruits topped with a sweet cream. It’s a refreshing and delicious way to end the class!

And there you have it! While I didn’t share any of the ingredients or preparation in detail here in this post, the chef does send out the recipes of all the dishes served during the class for participants to take home and try out on their own. How amazing would it be to start your own collection of recipes that you’ve gathered from across the globe during your travels??

Have you joined a traditional Peruvian cooking class with Cusco Culinary? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!

More Nearby

Looking for more to explore near Cusco? Check out more of our Peruvian travel guides below to continue your journey!

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