Just steps from Cusco's historic centre, the Mercado de San Pedro is much more than a simple food market: it's an authentic slice of daily life in the former Inca capital, far from the touristy shopfronts of the Plaza de Armas.
Fruit, cheeses and Andean ingredients
Among the market stalls you'll find dozens of varieties of Andean potatoes, some grown only in this region, alongside exotic fruits such as lucuma, chirimoya and tumbo. The cheese stalls offer fresh Andean cheese, often sold together with local rustic bread, while the fresh juice stands squeeze drinks to order with fruit chosen directly by the customer.
Soups, chicharrones and neighbourhood life
In the ready-to-eat food section, you can try dishes such as caldo de gallina, a chicken soup considered a cure for all ills, or chicharrones, fried pork served with mote and salsa criolla. The medicinal herbs section, with its mysterious blends meant to treat every kind of ailment according to traditional Andean medicine, is another curious stop for visitors to the market.
Visiting San Pedro early in the morning, when farmers from the surrounding communities arrive with their produce, lets you observe the most genuine side of Cusco's economic and social life.