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CUTE NOSE! | Peruvian local market Cusco, Peru 🇵🇪

CUTE NOSE! | Peruvian local market Cusco, Peru 🇵🇪

March 2020 · 6 min read · Cusco



Local market is always awesome! While in Peru, every city we visited, every town we have been to, we always headed to a local market at least once to try local food, to buy local produce and to shop for some souvenir that it wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg. In Cusco too! and the market you can't miss out while you there is this popular Mercado San Pedro! (San Perdro Market)


Historical center of Cusco, Peru is pretty!

Cusco is huge! There are many different parts of the city and it also covers all those sacred valley villages and the world-famous Machu Picchu too! The part I find very charming and attractive is the Historical center of Cusco where it's used to be the capital of the Incan Empire.

There are still some Incan architecture mix and match with the Spanish Colonial style ones. Combine those with the fact that it's surrounded by the mountains and hills all around. I'm telling you, Cusco is dang pretty.

Our first meal every in Cusco, Peru after a long journey from Arequipa, we treated ourselves with a nice Peruvian meal and also the first time we tried Alpaca steak!! A must try in Peru! Next day, we're going on a real local adventure to a local market. Walking around checking out things and try some local Peruvian food, of course. Mercado San Pedro here we come!


To get to Mercado San Pedro (San Pedro Market)

If you're already in the Historical center of Cusco, Peru, there's nothing too complicated. You can easily walk as we did. It's a lovely walk we have encounter so many things along the way. Most of those are people approaching us trying to sell some arts, tour tickets, massage and so on. It's a really, really touristy city so I don't blame them.

There are also some nice looking street vendors offering different kinds of stuff from food, desert to handmade products which are interesting to see.

Though, if you don't feel like walking, the easiest way is taxi or online taxi service like Cabify and uber. Buses will be a bit quite tricky as you will need to know which bus line to take. Google still doesn't have the info on Google maps so I rarely take buses.


Peruvian food at Mercado San Pedro (San Pedro Market)

Once we got to Mercado San Pedro (San Pedro Market), first thing first, food! If you're there during breakfast time, then there are a lot of the sandwich shops served along with hot drinks like coffee, barley, chocolates and juices.

Wonder why so many sandwiches? It's Peruvian traditional breakfast. Simple ones and nothing fancy...

Quite a few ceviche places, well, it's Peru duh. A few places serve different kinds of Peruvian food with all the rice, soups, stir fry and all you can imagine. We went with the busiest ones with a lot of locals dining in. It's basically a few big tables and we all share spaces. Lamb soup!A big chunk in a hot delicious soup with some rice for S/ 15. We were quite happy.


Typical Peruvian breakfast sandwiches we had in Paracas


Coca tea, coca candies and coca products in general

You know coca is illegal in most countries? It's a thing they use to make cocaine you love #jk

Yeah, it's one of the ingredients to make cocaine (drug) but, coca is not cocaine. It's just a kind of plant that would keep you awake and bring out some energy just like coffee. Big plus! It also helps with altitude sickness which a lot of people get it while visiting Cusco, the city at 3400 m. altitude.

There are a lot of local shops in Mercado San Pedro (San Pedro Market) sell products made of Coca leaves. From fresh leaves, dry leaves, powder, tea and candies. I have tried candy and tea. I quite like it. The coca tea tastes just straight tea like any other. Coca candies taste like tea as well so it's quite easy to get used to and enjoy.

I'm not sure how expensive cocaine is as I literally have never bought or tried. Coca leaves themselves are not expensive at all. The whole bags that would serve you a month or two of coca tea at Mercado San Pedro costs about S/ 2 or not even a dollar. The candies are about S/ 5 to S/ 10 for a big enough bag that would cause you cavity. #lol I hope I don't get that from chewing coca candies.


Coca tea


There are a lot a lot more products in Mercado San Pedro (San Pedro Market) we enjoyed. Fresh homemade products, fresh fruits and vegetables. Meat and cheese could also be found here. artisanal and handicrafts, some are quite odd but I like it.

Other than the meal and a few coca products, we didn't buy any other thing as we were heading out of the city to visit some sacred valley villages and Machu Picchu soonish. Though, it's always fun to walk around and check out things different cities and countries have to offer.

Look! Cute nose! #lol


No, you can't leave Peruvian local market without trying any juices!

At least some oj, por favor!

It's crazy in all markets and feels almost too overwhelming when people start to wave the juice menu and calling you to come to their shop. 'Jugo jugo' just like that. So many combination of fruits to choose from and we had choices either we wanted some water in the juice as well. Of course not! What are you talking about?

Anyways, the juice costs about S/ 5 - S/ 12 depends on the combination, water or not, or if you want some milk...

Though, wait a minute, if you want to escape the chaos and go for more relaxed juice fix, get out of Mercado San Pedro! I'm sure there will be at least one pretty Peruvian lady with her oj cart waiting for you outside :) This one costs S/ 2.5 always and don't forget to see the secret Quechua word 'Yapa!' to get a bit more of a re-fill for free. Too cool!

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Alrighty, what a walk, what a food and what a lovely journey in general here at Mercado San Pedro! (San Perdro Market), Cusco. We still have a lot more Peruvian local markets to visit so stay tuned!

Abrazos from Cusco, Peru. For now, ciao!




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