Peruvian Food

Lifestyles are always dependent on social class in developing countries.  People in lower classes usually work several jobs, live in the outskirts of cities, and eat basic foods.  The upper class usually have more leisurely lifestyles, they work in the morning, have a traditional main afternoon meal, and a siesta; afterward they either return to work, hang out with friends, watch soap operas, or play sports.

The food in Peru is directly influenced by the multitude of cultural influences from immigrants.  There are a lot of Chinese influences in Peru, and there are a ton of ‘chifas’ or Chinese restaurants.  Be careful on the ones you select, however, food sanitation is not always present. The Chinese modified their cuisine and incorporated many Peruvian elements (mainly Spanish, native and African) into their cuisine.

The three traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes, and chili peppers.  Peru has 3800 different types of potatoes which is why it is considered the birth place of the potato in South America.  They differ in size, shape, color, skin, pulp, texture and of course in their taste.  However, all types have their place in the Peruvian cuisine.  The word "papa" is originally Quechua and simply means tuber, and in Spanish it means potato.

Casava or yucca is common as is the plantain.  I love both of them, they are two of my favorites. Fried yucca and fried plantain chips are amazing! 

 Of course because Peru is a tropical country, a variety of fruits grow naturally.  Native fruits include lucuma, camu camu, prickly pear, cape gooseberry, cocona, pacay (technically a legume but used as a fruit), guanabana, dragon fruit, pepino, papaya, ciruela, mammee apple, banana, passionfruit, cherimoya, granadilla, moriche palm fruit, and tamarillo.  A couple of my favorites are the lucuma, camu camu, and guanabana.  Stay away from the cherimoya, its gross.  In the city of Iquitos there are several ice cream shops that have ice cream flavors with native fruit flavors.

Ceviche is a South American dish of marinated raw fish or seafood, typically garnished with herbs and served as an appetizer.  Tiradito is a related dish that shows the influence of Japanese immigrants and sashimi techniques.  Regarded as typical from Arequipa, Chupe de Camarones is regularly found in Peruvian restaurants specialized in Arequipan cuisine.  It is made from a thick freshwater shrimp (crayfish) stock soup, potatoes, milk and chili pepper.

There are many popular and delicious Peruvian dishes.  Pollo a la Brasa or grilled chicken is one of the most consumed foods in the country.  It is delicious, especially at Pardos restaurant in Lima.  Cow heart (anticuchos) is also delicious and you can get it at Pardos; it tastes like steak.  Arroz con Pollo is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes which is simply Peruvian yellow rice and roasted chicken.  

In the jungle there are various animal species that are hunted for food that you cannot find elsewhere in the world.  Some of the standouts include paiche (one of the world’s largest freshwater fish), and many other types of fish like gamitana, sabalo, tucunare, boquichico, palometa, bagre, and piranha, that are prepared in variety of dishes.  Other standouts are motelo (land turtle), and the charapa and taricaya (river turtles).  Other random foods that I have tried include alligator, monkey, jungle toad, Cuy (guinea pig), and Capybara (one of the world’s largest rodents).

 Peruvian desserts that are delicious include alfajores which is two cookies with dulce de leche in the middle.  Lúcuma juice, ice cream, and corresponding lúcuma shakes are very popular throughout Peru.  Arroz con Leche (rice-pudding) is one of the more common desserts found in homes and restaurants of modern-day Peru that consists primarily of cooked rice, cinnamon/nutmeg, raisins, and milk.  Of course there are also numerous flavors of helado or ice cream, especially in native fruit flavors which are delicious!

 Beverages that are common include my favorite drink Inca Kola which is the national beverage of Peru which is a lemon grass flavored soda that tastes a little bit like cotton candy.  It sounds gross, but it is actually delicious, I always bring home a couple liters whenever I go to Peru; it can only be found in national markets and select Peruvian restaurants in the states.  It is usually offered alongside Coca Cola at most restaurants.  One thing to beware of is water, make sure not to get any water that is not in a bottle, and also be weary of ice cubes – parasites like giardia are common to travelers, even in nice restaurants.  In the jungle, try the refrescos which are juices mixed with water and sugar.  In the jungle city of Iquitos at Ari Burger, the best restaurant in the city, they sell refrescos made with many different local fruits like lucuma and guanabana.  Chicha morada is also a common beverage that you will see in Peru.  It is made when purple corn (maíz morado) that only grows in Peru is boiled along with cinnamon and cloves. When the water cools, chopped fruit, key lime and sugar are added.  It is pretty tasty and the kids love it, it is the Peruvian version of Kool-Aid.

A traditional alcoholic beverage throughout the Amazon Basin is called chichi.  It is made most often with cassava root and sometimes plantain.  Traditionally, the chicha is prepared from cassava root by women, using a very simple method.  Pieces of washed, peeled root are thoroughly chewed in the mouth, and the resulting juice is spat into a bowl.  The bowl is set aside for a few hours to allow the juice to ferment.  This chicha is a somewhat opaque blue white, similar in appearance to defatted milk, and its flavor is mildly sweet and sour.  Cassava root is very starchy, and enzymes in the preparer's saliva rapidly convert the starch to simple sugar, which is converted by wild yeast and/or bacteria into alcohol.  In the amazon of Peru it is usually called masato and is traditionally offered to arriving guests.  I have never tried this nor ever would want to.  I would suggest that travelers avoid this as parasite transmission would be likely due to its minimal alcohol content and preparation process.