THE FOOD OF TITICACA LAKE.

The vast and legendary Titicaca Lake was the heart and sacred place of the Inca and pre-Inca civilizations. It is the largest Lake in South America and the highest navigable Lake in the world.
The Titicaca Lake stretches 8,300 sq km across two countries, of which 4,966 sq km corresponds to Peru and 3,334 sq km to Bolivia, and sits at a high altitude of 3,812 m. It measures 195 km length and 65 km width and it reaches until 304m depth. It is home to natural and artificial islands.
The Peruvian site is also home to natural and artificial islands, highlighting the floating islands of the Uros, Amantani, Anapia, and Taquile Island.
The Lake Titicaca is without doubt one of the most important natural patrimonies of humanity. The importance of the Lake in Andean culture is immense: its waters have always meant a source of life for humans and has served through different times as sustenance for them.
The Lake has an important meaning in Andean mythology, according to the Legend, from its water emerged Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, sons of the sun god, founders of the Inca Empire.
All over the Lake there are incredible green mountainsides that have pre-Inca agricultural terraces. Over the centuries, these terraces have been maintained and are still in use. There are lambs, sheep, goats, cows and pigs everywhere around the Lake.
There are two main groups of descendants from ancient civilizations -Quechua  and Aymara- speaking people. Puno, Peru is the only place in the World where you can find people from the two groups living unanimously together. Above Puno towards the North, there are only Quechua-speaking people, while in the South are the Aymara-speaking group.
The people of the Titicaca Lake have created their unique culture and way of living. There are over 60 little floating villages on the Lake that the Uros people have constructed with natural resources. Using reeds (Totora, a strong aquatic plant), they build temporary houses that float atop the water surface. The tide washes over their houses at times, so new layers of reed need to be laid every two weeks for better resistance. Every village host 8 Uros families. The Uros also use the same reeds to build boats and huts.
The people of the Titicaca Lake lead a very simple life, catching food from the Lake, exchanging fish for any products they need and getting all their basic necessities from the environment.
Fish is their main staple. They do not eat any red meat. They combine the fish with potatoes, andean potatoes, and quinoa. Quinoa soup is the most common meal and trout is the primary source of food. Due to the peculiar atmospheric conditions caused by the region's high altitude, people eat lightly as food takes longer to digest than at sea level.
The Uros weave their own clothes and their textiles are beautiful. They use very bright colors and their tapestries tell the story of the floating island.
In other words, the Uros are completely self-sufficient. They do not need money as they get everything they need from the natural surroundings. The island community is based on collectivism. You simply obey the rules or you must leave the island. They do not compete against each other.