Colored potatoes: A walk through the fields of Manuel Choqque

The name of Manuel Choqque is still unknown to many people from Cusco, as well as tourists. The vast majority do not know the history of this agricultural engineer, farmer from the community of Chinchero, who, with great talent and effort, has managed to develop the star Andean product: the potato. 

Recently, Manuel received the Summum prize that recognizes him as the best agricultural producer in the country, an award that he won for his development of over 350 varieties of potatoes, thus contributing to the preservation of the tradition of farming and the cultivation of a product that was born in the Andes and which represents Peruvian biodiversity. 

For these important reasons, Sumaq, as promoter of Andean culture, wants to invite you to a unique gastronomic experience with the aforementioned expert. We have called this excursion the “Visit to the potato fields of Manuel Choqque”. In it, you can meet the local community of Huatata, in the province of Chinchero. There, our host will tell us about the history of potato cultivation in Peru. In addition, you will be invited to tour the fields where you can see the colored potatoes: from blue-black and gold to varieties of reds and garnets, on through to the small orange-colored oca. 

After observing the process of growing potatoes, you will have the opportunity to enjoy three dishes prepared by our chefs in the “Tasting of native products in Huatata”. Under a tent, and with the best views of the mountains of the Sacred Valley, you will have the sensation that the experience is complete. 

However, Manuel has one more surprise for us. In addition to the varieties developed, he and his brother had the idea of fermenting some sweet varieties of potato, such as the oca and the mashua. The result is a kind of “wine” that has its white version, as well as a red. They indicate that the longer the fermentation time, the better the quality of the drink. You can try different samples of this innovative beverage. We hope that this experience will help you get to know a little more about the Andean culture, its history, and how it still manifests itself in different ways thanks to leaders such as Manuel Choqque. Please don’t hesitiate to write to reservations@sumaqhotelperu.com to receive more information, or to reserve a space for you and your companions to be part of this original experience.