Peru

Peru is blessed with an abundance of food sources and species, a rich native heritage and cultural influence from around the globe, so its cuisine is vast, diverse and ever-changing. You can find more than 2,000 different types of soups and more than 250 well-known desserts in Peru.

With 2,000 species of fish, 2,000 varieties each of potatoes and sweet potatoes, 35 varieties of corn, 15 species of tomatoes and 650 species of fruit, Peru is a vital center for the genetic diversity of the world’s crops. Contemporary Peruvians have discovered nutritionally rich plants grown by ancient Inca and pre-Inca civilizations and are integrating them into the modern diet. These foods are beginning to provide adequate nutrition for some of the country’s impoverished people. One of the rediscovered plants is quinoa, an excellent source of essential amino acids.

The urban cuisines of Lima and Trujillo assimilate Spanish and other European cooking styles in addition to African, Chinese and Japanese. Creole is also prevalent in the capital city of Lima. Here street vendors sell tamales made of boiled corn with meat or cheese wrapped in a banana leaf and anticuchos, brochettes made from grilled and marinated beef heart served with corn and potatoes.

A popular dish in both the cities and coastal areas is ceviche (spelled cebiche in Peru), a spicy seafood appetizer made of small pieces of raw white fish marinated in a lemon-lime blend of ingredients. It is often served with raw onion, sweet potatoes and toasted corn. Sancochado is a beef and vegetable stew that includes yuca (cassava) and camotes (sweet potatoes).

If you're looking for poultry, try the traditional arroz con pollo, or rice with chicken. Aji de gallina are strips of chicken in a spicy cream sauce of yellow chilies, cheese, milk, bread and walnuts.

Lima butter beans (pallares) have been used in Peru for at least 6,000 years. Lima Butter Bean Salad is made with boiled beans mixed with onions, tomato and chile peppers marinated in lime juice, oil, salt and vinegar.

A favorite dish of the northern coast is seco de cabrito or goat stew. Lamb, chicken and beef are often used instead of goat. Before stewing in a pot, the meat is marinated in chicha de jora (a fermented beverage made from yellow corn) or beer and spices including garlic and fresh cilantro.

Finally, the Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian banquet meal of the Andes that has survived since the Inca civilization. It is a combination of seasoned meats and vegetables cooked in a huatia or earthen oven. Traditionally, cooking takes place outside where an elaborate pyramid of stones is heated over a dirt pit. The food is then placed either inside or on top of the stones and buried under grass and soil. The Pachamanca bakes for two or more hours, absorbing flavor from the earth before it is dug out and served. Because it is intended to feed many people and is time-consuming to prepare, the Pachamanca is usually only made for festivals in the Andes. However, a few restaurants are beginning to offer this traditional meal.

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