🍽️ Gastronomic guide to Peru: top 15 dishes
Peruvian culture attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year . Iconic places, cute alpacas and llamas, the mesmerizing Pacific Ocean – everything can be found in this South American country.
But an integral part of visiting any state is the national cuisine. We don’t talk much about Peruvian cuisine, but believe me, there is something to try here too.
Peruvian dishes differ from region to region. I was able to visit two of them: on the Pacific coast in the capital of the country – Lima, and in the mountainous regions of the Andes – in the city of Cusco.
It's no surprise that Lima, like any other city on the ocean, is distinguished by its fresh seafood dishes.
Octopus Galician style (pulpo a la galega)
I determine whether I liked a place or not based on the octopus. After all, the preparation of this dish can tell about the skill of the chef. To make the octopus soft and melt in your mouth, it is important to pay attention to its proper processing.
Galician octopus consists of tentacles boiled and cut into slices, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil. In many establishments in Lima you can try these gifts of the ocean.
The octopus at Awicha in Lima is very tasty. I can also recommend trying the seafood soup and shrimp risotto here.
Ceviche
This dish is very popular in Peru. If in our country ceviche is just an appetizer, then we can say that there is a whole cult here. You can even find individual cevicheries.
Ceviche is thinly sliced fish and seafood topped with lime juice. This whole mixture is sprinkled with seasonings and pepper. But this is a standard ceviche that is popular in many other countries.
In Peru there is a dish called “Tiger's Milk”. Leche de tigre (Spanish for “tiger milk”) is different in that it is drunk. That is, all the ingredients that are used in the preparation of regular ceviche are ground to the consistency of a kind of cocktail. And Peruvians don’t skimp on hot peppers either. I would say that this dish is suitable for everyone.
Lomo saltado
This is a kind of stir-fry that consists of marinated fillet pieces with onions, tomatoes and other ingredients. Veal is used as meat. Vegetables and meat are soaked in juice and soy sauce, resulting in a very tasty dish.
Andean cuisine is certainly different. There are practically no seafood establishments here, since the menu of restaurants in this mountainous region is based on meat.
Kui
In almost any restaurant in Cusco you will be offered to try the mysterious cuy. But now the information will not be pleasant. Because kui is a guinea pig. Yes, yes, Peruvians eat our pets. They bake the rodent and attract tourists with such a curiosity. Many travelers, in turn, order a dish, take a photo of it and do not eat it. They also make pies with this cute fluffy. Therefore, if you are touched by these animals, it is better to ask whether the filling is definitely not from kuya.
Alpaca meat
Another equally shocking dish for us is alpaca meat. These cute animals are also eaten here. It is used to prepare steaks, stews or burgers. Alpaca meat tastes like dry beef.
Pachamanca
This Peruvian dish is cooked on hot stones. And then all the ingredients are buried in the ground. Such an ancient and fast way. Pachamanca includes different types of meat (lamb, pork, beef, chicken, alpaca, llama), and potatoes, sweet potatoes or corn as a side dish.
Pisco
Now let ‘s talk about the drinks of Peru. The most common cocktail is the Pisco Sour. It is prepared using pisco, a strong alcoholic drink that is a type of brandy. The cocktail itself, in addition to pisco, also includes sour citrus juice. Locals say that 2-3 of these cocktails are enough to get you drunk.
In addition to the Pisco Sour, many other pisco-based cocktails are prepared here.
Inca cola
This is a carbonated drink that was produced in Peru back in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The taste is very similar to our duchess. But Inca Kola contains a local plant – lemon verbena. It is thanks to her that the drink has its refreshing and fruity taste.
I liked the cuisine of the capital more. Fresh seafood dishes! What more could you wish for? Well, meat lovers will definitely love the city of Cusco.