Food in ancient Peru: Haku mikumusum (let's go to eat!)

Abstract

The Andean region is one of the eight world centers where plant and animal domestication originated. Given that food is a structural factor of social reality, a description is given of the close relationship that Andean men developed with their geographic surroundings, and the plants and animals they domesticated, giving rise to a remarkable culture that united the extraordinary nutritional richness of their traditional food with a food production, conservation and distribution system that led to a civilization who never experienced hunger. Some foods of ancient Peru are briefly described in the following review.