The seas off the Peruvian coast are rich in fish. The early Mochica (Moche) people were skilled seafarers and fished many kilometres out to sea using a style of reed boat which is still in use today.
Along the valley walls terraces were built to grow maize, potatoes and coca. Deer, birds and other animals were hunted, and snails were steamed and eaten. Muscovy duck and guinea pig were reared for food. Kidney beans, peanuts, peppers and avocados were grown. A weak beer known as chicha was brewed from maize or peanuts.
In order to water the coastal desert plain and the dry valley floor, large scale irrigation projects were initiated. Canals were constructed along the valley sides to siphon off mountain streams into irrigation ditches at the bottom. The irrigation system was technologically complex, using canals many kilometres long, reservoirs, and ditches.
Such artificial watering allowed several crops a year to be harvested. The building and maintenance of their irrigation system indicates the state's ability to manage and mobilize a large labour force: like the building of the huacas (sacred monuments) and of roads, this was probably done by people fulfilling the requirements of their labour tax.
