Coca Shop Chocolate
I’ve posted about eating at Pita, Prasada and Comedor Vegetariano in Cusco, Peru, but haven’t shared any news about the goods we consumed between meals. One of our favourite finds was the Coca Shop, where they make artisan chocolate that, like all good chocolate should be, is free of dairy. They have an amazing variety of flavours, and are very generous with their free samples. Some of our favourite kinds where lúcuma, maca and, the classic, coca. They were so good, we couldn’t resist bringing some back for our family.
Coca Shop
Calle Carmen Alto 115
San Blas, Cusco, Peru
Tel: (+5184) 260 774
VegiSpirit Ad
Goods from VegiSpirit
Vegi Spirit was another great vegan discovery in Cusco. We came across one of their posters at a yoga studio and started beaming with excitement. They make organic soy products, like soy milk, tofu and veggie burgers, as well as middle eastern goods like falafel and hummus. You can find soy milk at most supermarkets and convenience stores in Cusco, but it’s not organic. They also beat out any mass marketed soy burgers with their unique flavours. They have three kinds: tandoori, basil and paprika nut. If you’re visiting Cusco for awhile and have access to a kitchen, I’d highly recommend ordering some products from Vegi Sprit. They offer free delivery on orders of more than $15 Peruvian Nuevo Soles ($5.24 USD).
Vegi Spirit
Urb. Mariscal Gammarra 14-C
Cusco, Peru
Tel: 084 2333332 – 01 994 881 074
Email: vegispirit@yahoo.com
Maca Cereal
At the San Pedro market, I picked up some puffed cereal, made with maca, quinoa and amaranth. It wasn’t the best, but maybe that’s because I ate it from the bag, without any soy milk. Regardless, I like the concept.
Cookies!
At the Mega supermarket on Calle Marta, I found some flax seed cookies, as well as a few other flavours made with ancient grains.
Chocolates
Chocolates
Beside Prasada, on Choquechaca street, there’s a souvenir shop that sells chocolates and other local sweets. They have a great selection of dark chocolate truffles with unique, mostly fruity, fillings. We tried one with orange, lucuma and pisco, the popular Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes.
I’d highly recommend seeking out some of these goodies if you’re visiting Cusco. We were on a tight budget while there and delighted to discover so many budget-friendly treats to keep us happy and well fed.
7 Comments »
What fun! maca, amaranth and quinoa cereal…now that is a great concept. thanks for sharing:)
This stuff looks so freakin’ cool! I remember when I went to Peru, I was a vegetarian and stayed with a host family that didn’t speak a word of english and had never heard of a vegetarian! But the mom was such an awesome cook, she got a back of basically the Peruvian equivalent of soy curls and mixed them with all these spices and vegetables…so good. I wish I had known about all this stuff when I was there, though!
@Dianne – Isn’t Peru awesome!? Staying with a family was the best thing we could have done. It sounds like your host family may not have been vegetarian but at least were wiling to accommodate :)
@aimee – Thanks for checking out the blog :) It is a great idea, isn’t it. It kind of reminded me of a semi health version of coco puffs …hehe.
that chocolate shop is great! and the people who work there know their ingredients very well.
Uh yeah, Soy is GMO and isn’t really good for you.
Also, humans have canine teeth for DELICIOUS MURDER MEAT.
People who don’t eat meat behave poorly and suffer more illness than their fellow carnivores.
You should try a buffalo burger sometime. It’ll clear your poor soy-soaked brain of all those GMO retardants.
Cannot wait to get down to Peru! Super pumped to find your site!
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