Food in Peru - Peruvian Specialities - There are a lot!!

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, food in Peru is very complex, delicious, and diverse region to region. I am going to compile a list of the best foods that I’ve had in the coastal, high Andean, northern, and desert regions of the country. 

Coastal - Lima, north and south of Lima - coast 

1. Ceviche - lime acid cooked raw fish served with onion, sweet potato, and boiled and roast corn 
2. Leche de Tigre - left over concentrated runoff of marinade from ceviche - eaten like a soup or taken like a shot (like tequila) 
3. Arroz con Pollo - moist beer and coriander flavoured rice with flavourful chicken 
4. Aji de Gallina - a creamy chicken stew with a yellow based egg, hot pepper, and peanut sauce - someone kindly made this for me without the peanuts 
5. Tacu Tacu - a mix of beans and rice, or tarwi (Peruvian legume) and rice served with fried meat and an onion, tomato, and coriander salsa 
6. Cau Cau - cow parts stew with turmeric, onion, potato, and muna (Peruvian mint) 
7. Causa - a beautifully layered dish of mashed potatoes seasoned with lime and Peruvian yellow hot pepper, tuna or chicken, avocado, and mayo 
8. Chupe de Camarones - a luscious soup of shrimp, cream, and egg traditionally served with boiled corn and Andean white cheese 
9. Pollo a la Brasa - a juicy Peruvian marinated rotisserie chicken usually served with fries 
10. Chicharrones - fried pork in pork fat, one can also have chicken or seafood chicharrones - for those who do not eat pork 
11. Comida Chifa - Peruvian Chinese food - the Tipa Kay, Tallarin Saltado, and Pollo Enrolled are great!! (For descriptions of these foods see blog on Peruvian Chinese food)
12. Sushi - Peruvian style - using Peruvian ingredients 
13. Fresh juices at the market - cactus fruit (tuna) with pineapple is incredible 
14. Suspiro a la Limena - dessert with a lemon cream at the bottom topped with a merengue - often wine flavoured - very sweet but delicious 
15. Picarones - a squash and sweet potato doughnut swimming in a sweet molasses syrup - delicious, though very rich  

Northern - Piura 

1. Ceviche de caracoles - ceviche made from scallops, often black ones, or other types of seafood - again marinated in lime juice and chillis 
2. Caracoles - fried or grilled scallops often served with rice and salad 
3. Seco de Carne - a tender slow cooked chicha marinated red meat (traditionally sheep or goat) with onion, garlic, and coriander served on a bed of rice - one of my favourites 
4. Ice Wine milkshakes - I know that all of a sudden there is this big trend for ice wine or just generally wine milkshakes - all I can say to that is Piura, Northern Peru - over a decade ago - and just to die for 

Desert - Arequipa 

1. Papa a la Huancaina - boiled yellow potatoes thinly sliced and coved in a creamy yellow peanut and hot pepper based sauce - again a kind person made this for me without the peanuts. 
2. Papa Rellena - the most traditional dish out of Arequipa - a soft boiled potato hollowed out and stuffed with ground beef, eggs, olives, peanuts, and herbs - and then deep fried - no one will make this with out nuts (I think its against the law) so this is the only one I haven’t tried - who knows perhaps I will make it 
3. Rocoto Relleno - another very traditional dish out of Arequipa - a hollowed out pepper stuffed with meat, nuts, peas, eggs, cheese, and milk - (ok, so this is the other dish - well I did have it by accident the first time and it tasted really good until my throat got itchy and I got sick) 
4. Llama steak with wine sauce - Llama, when cooked well, is a very tender meat full of lots of flavour - top that with a reduced red wine sauce - Yes please!! 
5. Pisco - the national alcoholic beverage of Peru - made generally in the vicinity of Ica (close to the Nazca lines) - made with fresh (usually white) grapes - then distilled into a high proof spirit 
6. Pisco Sour - using a shot of Pisco this cocktail is also made with egg white, lime juice, and sugar - layered - bottom Pisco mixed with lime juice, egg white sugar foam on top - sprinkled with cinnamon powder - this drink is quite delicious 
7. Ponche - milk steamed traditionally with seeds, many nuts, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves - many variations are made - because I cannot have nuts - I had one with a tarwi (Peruvian legume) base - its interesting because I believe in Indian culture we make a somewhat similar drink for Pregnant women 

High Andean - Cusco and Sacred Valley

1. Cuy - Guinea pig - neither guinea nor pig - can be eaten fried, baked, roasted, grilled - and honestly I really do enjoy it - especially when it’s been marinated well 
2. Chiriuchu - A dish served around the time of the June festivals in Cusco - a mountain of food including salted meat, some rooster meat, some cuy, some fried egg bread, seaweed, fish eggs, blood sausage and toasted Peruvian corn - all eaten with the fingers, and all eaten cold - I was a little nervous to try the dish - but I loved it. 
3. Anticuchos - grilled beef heart on a stick - over an open flame - by street vendors - the meat is generally marinated in a sauce that does contain Coca Cola and its soooooooo good - best street food ever - and comes with a grilled potato too. 
4. Lomo Saltado - typical dish of beef strips sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, coriander, and soy sauce - served with rice and french fries - whats not to love!! 
5. Pachamanca - An underground barbecue - meat, tubers, and herbs are cooked on very hot stones - in the ground - delicious - but often the meat is marinated in a peanut sauce - found out the hard way - so be careful if you’ve got nut allergies 
6. Olluco con charqui - Another unique tuber (related to potatoes) - small delicate in taste - boiled with herbs and things to make a sauce, served with rice, and salted dried meat 
7. Adobo - a pork stew made with turmeric, garlic, vinegar, and salt, often with hot peppers, and potatoes - I did help to make this and it smelled divine - but I can’t eat pork - so I’ll try making this with chicken 
8. Trucha - fresh water - river trout - often grilled with some salt - then served with salad - simple but incredible 
9. Locro - a pumpkin and squash stew - very traditional - mixed with beans, corn, and Andean cheese 
10. Soltero - a traditional salad - mixed diced onion, tomato, olive, Andean cheese, beans, rocoto, and topped with seaweed - really nice - but it takes a long time to sit and remove the beans 
11. Chicha - traditional pre-Incan fermented corn drink (essentially - corn beer) - Used also in many Peruvian dishes 
12. Chicha Morada - a non alcoholic corn drink made with boiling purple corn and adding in sugar, cinnamon, pineapple husks, and cloves - very refreshing 
13. Alfajores - cookies - layered with a cooked condensed milk cream in the middle - yum!!