Pachamanca, literally the earthen cooking pot, is the epitome of the Andean banquet par excellence. Andean cultures tend to mix their worship of nature with social events. Pacha Mama, or Mother Earth, is a source of fertility and of life, and is also the origin of many products that then return to the earth to be cooked. The pachamanca is mainly eaten between February and March to celebrate the harvest, although it is also a dish reserved especially for religious and community festivities (like the cattle-branding ceremony) and social celebrations like marriages and birthdays. Of highland origin, the pachamanca is now cooked up all over Peru, albeit with slight variations on the theme.

In short, what is the pachamanca? It is a dish buried under the ground and cooked over hot stones, and features meat (beef, pork, chicken and lamb), vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and corn) and other extras like humitas (corn mash and cheese pastries). The flavor that the warm earth lends the ingredients is really something special.

Although the meat used today in the pachamanca was originally brought to America by the Spaniards, the pachamanca itself dates back to pre-Hispanic times. The word pachamanca is listed in the Quechua dictionary published by priest Diego Chávez Holguín in the early seventeenth century. The definition claims the term is the combination of two words: pacha (earth) and manca (cooking pot). The pachamanca's origins hark back to rituals, as it was a way of rendering homage to the earth goddess, whereby the participants would eat directly from the bowels of the earth the products that it produced. Cusco inhabitants prepare a simple version of the dish inspired in the original pachamanca. With the harvest upon them and the pagan festival of the dead, called Day of the Dead in Christian terminology, the Cusco peasants prepare the huatia. They heat earth clods in a pit until they are white hot embers. They then pile the potatoes in this rustic oven, cover them with earth and sacks of damp cloth until the potatoes are thoroughly roasted.

The secret behind the pachamanca is cooking it over hot volcanic stones which absorb heat. These stones are usually collected near specific hills, as any normal stone would explode when heated to such a degree. The first task on the way to making the pachamanca is to dig a hole and heat the stones. The stones are stacked like a pyramid and heated by a wood fire for a couple of hours until they are ready to be used as a heat source.

The preparation of the pachamanca takes hours and demans the participation of several members of the community, including mean and women. The men set about digging the hole in the ground, heating the stones and covering and uncovering the food with earth. The women, meanwhile, prepare the humitas, gather marmakilla (an aromatic herb) and season the meat.

The various products are placed in the pit according to cooking requirements. At the bottom, on top of a layer of stones, go the potatoes. A second layer of stones are placed on top, and then in go the meat, properly seasoned beforehand. Some regions tend to place banana fronds between layers of products. On top comes a layer of herbs (marmakilla, paico, chopped green ají chili pepper leaves) and alfalfa, which is then topped by an additional layer of glowing hot stones. The top layer includes cooked beans, corn and humitas. The whole affair is crowned by damp sacks, which are in turn covered with soil. The idea is to hermetically seal the hole to prevent any steam or smoke from escaping. A cross of flowers is then strung on top. The areas where the tradition of preparing the pachamanca is strictest are Ayacucho and the Mantaro Valley. In Ayacucho the pachamanca has its own special seasoning for the meat: ají panca and achiote spices, garlic and cooking oil, as well as seasoning for the garnishing. The meat and vegetables are buried together with clay cooking pots, one of which contains cachipa, fresh Ayacucho cheese, another with chicken gravy (in a sauce of tomato, onion and wine or chicha maize beer with sour orange). In the highlands, the pachamanca is presided over by sponsors called padrinos (godparents), who pay for or organize the party. The godparents place the cross of flowers over the sealed pachamanca, and after a couple of hours of cooking, dig out the first spadefulls. They then remove all the soil covering the pachamanca before placing the cooked meat and vegetables in wooden bowls or on blankets.

The pachamanca is eaten in a festive atmosphere. A band of musicians usually lighten the proceedings, while chicha and beer boost everyone's spirits. The banquet is accompanied by a great deal of dancing and enjoyment. The women decorate their hats with flowers, the position and color of which are a sign of their marital status (free and single, brides, married and widows).

By Mariano Valderrama