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What did people eat in Machu Picchu? ›

Products like potatoes, yucas, sweet potato, oca, olluco, and many others complete the everyday diet of the ancient inhabitant. And only that, meat was a valued thing to eat, from the guinea pig to llama is a very and tasty food, that prepared with the right ingredients, make a full banquet without much money.

For decades, the ancient Incan ruins in Peru have been called Machu Picchu. But the original name was Picchu or Huayna Picchu, according to two researchers.

Incas would eat two meals a day, and the mostly vegetarian diet would be full of potatoes, quinoa (a type of grain), as well as maize (corn) and berries. The meat they did eat on a special occasion was guinea pig, llama, deer, duck, and fish.

Native to Peru, the story goes that maca root was eaten by the Ancient Incas before going into battle to give them strength. These days, it's most commonly available in a powdered form that's added to things like smoothies, yoghurt, chia pudding and muesli.

The diet of common people was very simple. The main dish mostly consisted of a thick vegetable soup containing Indian meal, corn and tubers. Additional seasonings must certainly have included the hot capsicum pepper which was as highly prized in ancient times as it is today.

The most common conclusion from experts on Inca history and archaeologists is that it was built first and foremost as a retreat for the Inca and his family to worship natural resources, deities and specially the Sun, Inti.

The four traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes and other tubers, Amaranthaceae (quinoa, kañiwa and kiwicha), and legumes (beans and lupins). Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken).

Here is a sample menu for a typical trekking day: Breakfast– Pancakes, omelettes or fruit salad; fruit; yoghurt; porridge; bread, butter and jam. Lunch/Dinner– Soup and/or a starter with fresh vegetables, followed by meat or fish with a pasta dish, rice dish, or potato dish, and a delicious fresh sauce to complement.