Inca Food
There were three main staples in the Inca diet:
| sara |
corn |
| chuno |
dehydrated potatoes |
| quinua |
type of seed |
The Inca farmers grew more food than was needed. After part of the
harvest was eaten the rest was dried and stored for times of war or famine.
The quinua is a plant with lots of seeds that grows
above the timberline. The seeds were used to make cereal, flour, and soups.
The Incas had an interesting way of dehydrating potatoes. Small potatoes
were placed outside on the ground at high elevations to freeze during the
night. The next morning the potatoes would be gathered into piles. The
men and women would stomp on them which would cause the water to squirt
out. When they wanted to use the dehydrated potatoes they would just add
water.
Sara was grown at lower altitudes. It was special to the
Inca for two reasons. They used corn in religious ceremonies. They also
used corn to make a drink called chicha.
When the Inca empire began to trade with others their diet also included
squash, sweet potatoes, and fruits like pineapple and papaya.
ACTIVITY
With the help of your parents create a dish using corn, potatoes, or
fruit that the Incas might have made.