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The Andean people also prepared a dish called papas secas, which was a process that involved boiling, peeling, and chopping. These potatoes were then fermented in order to create tocosh, and ground to a pulp, soaked, and filtered into a starch referred to as almidón de papa.
The Andean civilizations were South American complex societies of many indigenous people. [1] They stretched down the spine of the Andes for 4,000 km (2,500 miles) from southern Colombia , to Ecuador and Peru , including the deserts of coastal Peru, to north Chile and northwest Argentina .
The most important ingredient in all Peruvian cuisine is the potato, as Peru has the widest variety of potatoes in the world. American food critic Eric Asimov has described it as one of the world's most important cuisines and as an exemplar of fusion cuisine, due to its long multicultural history. [1]
Most Andean crops and domestic animals were likewise pristine—not known to other civilizations. Potatoes and quinoa were among the many unique crops; Camelids (llamas and alpacas) and guinea pigs were the unique domesticated animals. The Inca civilization [2] was predominantly agricultural. The Incas had to overcome the adversities of the ...
Andean farmers must contend with the severe fluctuations in temperature, the unpredictability of the rainy season, and a multitude of pest threats on the daily. [4] To cope with such challenges, many farmers try protect their crops by cultivating a diverse array of species rather than a monoculture.
Firstly it was suggested that it comes from the quechua Kawsay, which means "necessary sustenance" and "food", or "what feeds", a name also given to the potato. [6] [7] There are other hypotheses about the name of the dish that link it to war episodes of the contemporary history of the Andean country.
After fall harvest (April–May), potatoes are selected for the production of chuño, typically small ones for ease of processing. These small potatoes are spread closely on flat ground, and allowed to freeze with the low night temperatures and dehydrate in the daytime, for about three nights. This process results in natural freeze-drying.
Inca cuisine originated in pre-Columbian times within the Inca civilization from the 13th to the 16th century. The Inca civilization stretched across many regions on the western coast of South America (specifically Peru), and so there was a great diversity of unique plants and animals used for food.