Peruvian Food And Cuisine

Experts have given Peruvian cuisine a privileged place in the world gastronomic ranking. It is based on a tasty blend of two cultures - the Spanish and native cuisines - to which black and Asian (Chinese and Japanese) components were added, as well as a few touches of Italian and French food, as a result of the different migration flows.

Appetizers:
• Ceviches: Chunks of fish marinated in green lemon juice together with various ingredients, this is the most popular and famous Peruvian dish.
• Papas a la Huancaína: Boiled potatoes covered in a yellow sauce made of cheese and yellow chili peppers.
• Causa a la limeña: A potato-based dish with onions, lemon, ground chili, hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise, stuffed with chicken, or shrimps, or vegetables, etc.
• Ocopa arequipeña: Boiled potatoes covered in a greenish sauce made with nuts, cream, sprigs of an aromatic herb (native marigold), shrimps, chili, onions, garlic and biscuits.
• Anticuchos: Kebabs made of chunks of beef heart marinated in vinegar.
• Tamales: Seasoned ground corn cakes wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
• Palta rellena: avocado stuffed with shrimps or crab meat and a few drops of lemon juice.
• Fondo de alcachofas relleno con conchas: Artichoke hearts stuffed with scallops, served with Worcester sauce if raw and with parmesan cheese if baked.
• Pulpo a la oliva: Octopus in olive sauce. The seafood is boiled until tender and the olive sauce is made of mayonnaise blended with black olives.

Main Dishes:
• Chupe de camarones: This is a fish and shrimp chowder prepared with milk, eggs and oregano.
• Ají de gallina: A spicy chicken dish consisting of boiled yellow potatoes with a sauce made of bread crumbs soaked in milk, nuts and shredded chicken.
• Sancochado: It is the Peruvian version of the French pot au feu.
• Arroz con pato a la chiclayana. Duck seasoned with salt, pepper, coriander, oregano, powdered chili and strips of sliced fresh chili, rice and sweet peppers.
• Adobos: Marinated pork cooked in a pot with spices.
• Secos: Different types of spicy stew (kid, lamb).

Desserts:
• Mazamorra morada: made with purple corn and pieces of fruit;
• Picarones: (fried donuts made with sweet potato flour, squash and yeast, bathed in syrup)
•Tropical fruit-based desserts (sweets, cakes, juices and ice-creams) of tasty flavors: chirimoya (custard apple), guanábana (soursop), maracuyá (passion fruit), lúcuma (egg fruit).