Steps from Machu Picchu: Experience the Pachamanca Culinary Demonstration at Sumaq
It’s no secret that Peru is one of the world’s great food destinations, consistently celebrated as a top gastronomic travel destination, and for good reason. The extraordinary diversity of ingredients that grow across its landscapes, combined with the creativity and passion Peruvians bring to their cooking, makes Peruvian cuisine unlike anything else on earth.
Few dining experiences connect you to a place quite like Pachamanca. Pachamanca is one of Peru’s most treasured culinary traditions and was officially recognised by the Peruvian government as part of the country’s cultural heritage in 2003. This ancient Andean cooking tradition, where food is slow-cooked underground using heated stones as an offering to Pachamama, Mother Earth is as spiritual as it is delicious, and Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel brings it to life in the most authentic way possible.
One extraordinary offering at Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel is the The Pachamanca Culinary Demonstration, a hands-on cultural and culinary experience that highlights one of the oldest and most emblematic cooking traditions in Peruvian gastronomy. Pachamanca, which translates roughly to “earthen pot,” is an ancestral Andean cooking method prepared as a gesture of gratitude to Pachamama (Mother Earth) for the food she provides.
During the experience, guests observe the traditional preparation of the dish, which is cooked underground using heated stones. Ingredients are layered in the earth along with aromatic herbs, allowing them to slow-cook in the natural heat. The demonstration showcases a variety of native Andean ingredients, including tubers from the surrounding mountains such as oca, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, alongside broad beans and corn, and different meats such as chicken, pork, and beef.
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Following the demonstration, guests enjoy a Pachamanca lunch featuring the freshly prepared dishes. The experience also includes a glass of chicha de jora, a traditional fermented corn beverage that has been enjoyed in the Andes for centuries and is an important part of local celebrations and rituals.
The experience lasts approximately three hours and can accommodate groups of 4 to 40 guests, making it ideal for both intimate travelers and larger groups interested in exploring Peru’s culinary heritage in an authentic setting.
The setting makes it all the more powerful, nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just a stone’s throw from Machu Picchu, you’re quite literally cooking in the same landscape where this tradition was born.
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel is the kind of place that earns its setting. A boutique luxury property designed in a contemporary Andean style inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures, it offers just 62 rooms and suites intimate enough to feel personal, polished enough to feel special. Sitting on the banks of the Vilcanota River with the mountains of Machu Picchu as its backdrop, the hotel weaves Inca art, woven textiles, and pre-Columbian design throughout its spaces, making it feel like a natural extension of the landscape rather than an intrusion on it.
Beyond the Pachamanca experience, guests can explore Andean spa treatments at the Aqlla Spa, innovative Peruvian cuisine, and immersive cultural experiences from exploring Machu Picchu with a shaman to traditional Andean ceremonies
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