Street food in Cusco: anticuchos, emoliente, picarones and more

When evening falls in Cusco, the street corners change. Carts with steaming pots appear, small grills cook skewers and women serve hot herbal drinks in glass cups. Street food is an essential part of Cusco life: cheap, tasty and designed to warm you up on cold Andean nights. This guide covers the classics you'll find, where to look for them and how to enjoy them without stomach trouble. We don't list prices because they vary, but these are generally some of the cheapest bites in the city.

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Street classics

Anticuchos

Skewers of beef heart marinated in ají panca, vinegar and spices, grilled and served with potato and corn. It's the quintessential street snack all over Peru. In Cusco they appear mostly at dusk, on neighbourhood corners and near markets. If heart doesn't appeal, there's sometimes chicken.

Salchipapas

Fries with pieces of hot dog sausage, topped with sauces: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and ají. Peruvian fast food, very popular with students. One of the city's best-known stalls is Don Lucho, around Avenida Pardo, a Cusco favourite for years. Check opening times before you go.

Choclo con queso

A cob of giant-kernel Cusco corn, boiled and served with a slice of fresh cheese. Simple, healthy and delicious. You'll see it at markets, stations and on the roads to the Sacred Valley.

Tamales

Corn dough filled with pork, chicken or cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed. Sold mainly in the morning, often with a cup of coffee or hot quinoa drink.

Empanadas and pastries

At bakeries and carts you'll find beef, chicken or cheese empanadas, and in some places sweet breads.

Street sweets

Picarones

Fried rings of squash and sweet potato dough, drizzled with chancaca syrup (unrefined cane sugar with spices). Eat them hot, straight from the oil. Look for stalls that fry them to order.

Mazamorra morada and arroz con leche

Spoon desserts sold in little cups, sometimes combined as a "clásico". Mazamorra morada is made with purple corn, fruit and spices.

Jelly and flan

In squares and outside schools you'll often see vendors selling jelly, flan or slices of cake.

Hot drinks

Emoliente

Cusco's most typical street drink. A hot infusion of toasted barley, flaxseed, horsetail, alfalfa and other herbs, sweetened and with lime. Emolienteros make each cup to order, asking which herbs you want. It's said to be good for digestion and the cold. You'll find it from very early and at night.

Hot quinoa and maca

In the morning, carts serve thick drinks of quinoa, maca or kiwicha with apple, ideal as a quick breakfast.

• Traditional breakfast in Cusco: adobo, chicken soup, juices and pan chuta

Where to find street food

• Around markets: San Pedro, Wanchaq and Rosaspata have food stalls at all hours.
• Neighbourhood avenues and squares: at dusk, anticucho and salchipapa stalls pop up in residential areas.
• Bus stations and stops: perfect for corn with cheese or a tamal before your trip.
• Fairs and festivals: during fiestas like Corpus Christi or Inti Raymi the offering multiplies.

• San Pedro Market in Cusco: what to eat, what to buy, opening hours and tips
• Wanchaq Market: where Cusco locals really shop
• Rosaspata Market: juices, breakfasts and farm produce in Cusco
• Corpus Christi in Cusco: dates, the saints' procession, chiriuchu and tips

Useful words for ordering

• ¿Cuánto es?: "How much is it?" Always worth asking before you order.
• Uno para llevar: one to take away, if you want to eat while walking.
• Sin ají / con ají: without or with chilli; stall ají can be very hot.
• Con todas las cremas: on salchipapas and burgers, all the sauces.
• Yapa: the small extra vendors sometimes give you; asking for it with a smile is part of market culture.
• Caserita / casero: an affectionate way to address the vendor.

A little Spanish, or even "sulpayki" (thank you in Quechua), usually earns a smile.

• Basic Quechua phrases for your trip to Cusco (with pronunciation)

Eating on the street safely

• Choose stalls with lots of local customers: food turns over faster and stays fresh.
• Prefer food cooked to order and served hot.
• Avoid cut fruit and raw salads if your stomach is sensitive.
• Don't drink tap water or ice of unknown origin; emoliente is made with boiled water.
• Carry coins and small notes: stalls rarely have change for big notes.
• For the first days at altitude, go easy on fried food.

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Notice: This guide shares advice and recommendations based on research and local experience. Prices, opening hours and rules may change: always check with official sources and operators. Cusco Tips is not responsible for third-party services, bookings or decisions made using these guides; some links are affiliate links (see our affiliate policy).