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 Huanuco is one of the central regions of Peru, which on its territory unites the eastern slopes of the Andes and part of the Amazonian plain with high and low jungles.
The geographical and climatic diversity of the department has contributed to the development of agricultural potential, there are areas with extensive coffee and tea plantations, orange and banana orchards, fields of corn and wheat, cassava and potatoes, and green valleys are excellent natural pastures for sheep and cattle.
Most of the regional cuisine is based on local agricultural products and is complemented by river fish, wild fruits and game. As in many mountainous Peruvian regions, eating is common in the Sierra Huanuco guinea pig (picante de cuy)... According to the classic recipe, the gutted animal is fried in hot oil, and then a hot sauce cooked from Chinese onions, peanuts, ground chili and garlic with spices is added to it. The dish is served with various types of rice or potatoes.
In tropical forests, hunters hunt deer, agouti, tapirs. Before cooking, their meat is soaked in vinegar or red wine with spices, garlic, ground red pepper, annatto, pepper sauce and others, after which it is cooked as asado in the oven or grill. Game is usually served with rice or other garnish to which coconut flakes are added.
Since ancient times, Huanuco has preserved Indian methods of cooking in earthen pits using the heat of heated stones. This type includes pachamancacalled in some areas huatia... This is a meat dish, for the preparation of which on hot stones pieces are laid out mutton or pork and tubers, and then the pit is tightly covered with banana leaves. The difference from other regions, where Pachamanca is also common, is the use of the chincho plant from the Aster family as a seasoning, which has a characteristic aroma with notes of mint.
In the forests of the Amazonian lowland, they use such a method as wrapping food with banana or calathea leaves before further processing - this is how they prepare a festive dish juane with rice and chicken (juane), river fish (patarashca) and umity with various fillings (humitas).
Very typical of Huanuco soups inchicapi, locro and caldo verde... Inchikapi is a soup with chicken and large pieces of cassava, in the broth of which ground peanuts and corn flour are added, giving thickness and characteristic color. Lockro is also cooked with poultry, but white potatoes are taken from the tubers, and in addition, the dish is complemented by onions, yellow peppers, garlic and cumin. Usually this soup is cooked in an earthen pot on a wood-burning stove. Caldo verde is a green broth made from a variety of herbs, pepper and garlic, to which potatoes are added. It is believed that this broth helps the digestive system to cope with stress after prolonged meals.
Traditional snacks of the region - spicy cheese (picante de queso) and tacacho... Spicy cheese is a melted cheese mass cooked on lard with garlic and chili, served with potatoes and corn during Holy Week. Takacho, small balls of unripe sycamore and dried pork with lard, are more often prepared during the New Years. They are boiled in water (unlike other Peruvian regions, where products are fried in oil) and can be served with chorizo, fresh vegetables or boiled tubers.
The Huanuco range of traditional drinks includes the following:
• aguajina - the preferred drink for women from the fruit of the aguaje palm tree;
• chapo - a frothy mass, whipped with a blender, from ripe bananas and a small amount of milk and sugar;
• carambola - carambola juice diluted with water with honey or sugar;
• masato - a fermented drink made from cassava, considered sacred by the inhabitants of the selva;
• chuchuhuasi - a strong alcoholic drink prepared on the basis of the bark and roots of trees of the euonymus family, which has a tart taste and some medicinal properties.
Elena
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