A Peek Inside the Massive San Pedro Market in Peru

By Food & Wine
June 29, 2017
Hillary Eaton

A good market is a magical thing. The colors, sounds and smells can make you fall in love with a place faster than the sappiest Meg Ryan rom-com makes you fall in love with Tom Hanks. And Mercado Central de San Pedro in Peru’s ancient Incan capital, Cusco, is the Sleepless in Seattle of markets.

Mercado Central is the beating heart of the city, packed with food stalls and vendors selling everything from fresh sugar cane to hand-made sausage, as the sounds of pan flute punctuate the murmur of busy streets. While you’re getting swept up in the marvels of Cusco’s market culture, at some point you may find yourself wondering something like: is that a bag of bile? And the answer is usually: yes. So, to help you break down San Pedro market’s overwhelming array of vendors, we’ve put together this handy visual guide to everything from salted and dried alpaca to herbs used in ancient shaman rituals. Don’t worry, we got you.

—Hillary Eaton

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Cholona de Alpaca

Hillary Eaton

These dehydrated slabs may look like salted cod, but they’re actually salted and dried alpaca. You’ll see vendors using a candle to individually dry each piece of the meat by hand. And, in case you’re wondering, yes, alpaca is delicious.

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Queso de Chancho

Hillary Eaton

If you’re a head cheese person, you’ve found yourself in the right place. This local style head cheese known as queso de chancho, which can be found at vendors throughout the market, is sliced to order, making all your head cheese dreams come true.

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Pitahaya

Hillary Eaton

South America is home to some ridiculously good fruit. While you may be accustomed to the bright pink Pitahaya, or dragon fruit, the yellow variety (bottom right) found in Peru is a must try. We’re also loving the local cactus fruit (middle) know as tuna, which is often mixed with pisco.

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Shaman Herbs  

Hillary Eaton

Throughout the market you’ll find people selling Andean herbs, plants and powders used traditionally by shamans, like this one.

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Coca Leaf Candy  

Hillary Eaton

Altitude sickness in Cusco is a very real struggle. To fight it, locals often chew on coca leaves. But if you don’t want to chew on a bitter-tasting, mouth-numbing leaf, there is an endless supply of coca leaf-laced candies that can help you overcome the whole oxygen is-too-thin-at-this-level-for-some-people thing.

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Chickens

Hillary Eaton

At San Pedro market, everything from suckling pigs to chickens are sold whole and left out on the counter, so if you’re going to get squeamish about your food looking at you, prepare yourself emotionally.

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Flor de Jamaica

Hillary Eaton

You’ll spot lots of amazing dried items at San Pedro, but the candied hibiscus flowers with their tart-yet-sweet flavor are far and away the tastiest ones.

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Frogs (and Frog Smoothies)  

Hillary Eaton

In Peru, frogs are believed to increase sex drive. Often they’ll be blended up into a frog smoothie, known as jugo de rana. We dare you to try it.

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Super-Cute Pastries  

Hillary Eaton

While these pretty, sprinkle-covered pastries may look like the Peruvian take on Pop Tarts, they don’t have any filling in them—just layers of leafy pastry. But we’re totally fine with that.

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Sacks of Roe (and Lake Algae)  

Hillary Eaton

This fresh, bright orange roe is sold in little piles or hung in sacks, often alongside fresh soft cheese and lake algae.

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Babies  

Hillary Eaton

It’s common to find moms bringing their kids to work at the market with them. When they’re very young, they’re often strapped to their mom’s back—just straight chilling like this dude.

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Olluco  

Hillary Eaton

Not to be confused with one of over 2,000 potato varieties found in Peru, these Andean tubers can be identified by their dark lines and bulbous, turmeric-like shape.

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All of the Animal Parts  

Hillary Eaton

Cusco locals use literally every single part of the animal. Butchers here tend to be women, like this badass lady who knows exactly how to break down a giant cow like a pro, even with a baby strapped to her.

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Stomach Lining  

Hillary Eaton

You’ll find this honeycomb-looking stuff in bowls throughout the meaty corners of the market. Here, cow stomach linings are used in a variety of soups, like the delicious, marvellously spicy cau cau stew.

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Bull Heads  

Hillary Eaton

Everything can be made into something delicious in Cusco, even these bull skulls, which are transformed into caldo de cabeza, otherwise known as “head soup.”

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Pile o’ Snouts

Hillary Eaton

No caption necessary.

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Maiz Morado  

Hillary Eaton

This purple corn is the star in the classic Peruvian drink, chicha morada: a mixture of spices, sugar and purple corn.

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