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Eating and Food Related

For those who eat meat, Peruvian cuisine is by far one of the most varied in the world. The country grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables all year round. The geography provides for at least 8 completely different climates, and a great number of microclimates in which to farm and grow different kinds of food (there is desert along the coast, steep and high mountains, and the Amazon basin.) The staple foodstuff in the coast is rice, while in the Sierra is corn and potatoes, and yuca in the Jungle. Meat is traditionally included in most peruvian dishes. Chicken (pollo), beef, pork and sheep are quite common. Alpacas are not usually kept for it's meat, but mostly for their wool. You'll find that Alpaca's meat is quite tough. In the Andes region, the guinea pig (cuy) is considered a delicacy. Peruvian food includes quite a variety of entrails. One of the most popular is anticuchos, which is a kebab made from an spicy and heavily marinated cow's heart. They are delicious, but be careful where you eat them. Some locals purchase them from street stalls, which do not guarantee a clean and good preparation. Another plate, Cau-Cau (pronounced Cow-Cow), is made from the intestins of the cow and potatoes.

Fish can be found along the coast, but also in the jungle because of the supply provided by rivers. Be careful though if you are in the selva alta (high jungle), as strong chemicals are dumped into the rivers because of the cocaine trade, and thus they can be highly contaminated. In the Sierra, there are several places that breed trouts (truchas). The absolutely most valued fish meal is the Cebiche, which is prepared with raw fish, marinated in lemon and peppers, sometimes with shellfish. It can usually be found along the coastal cities and towns. It's a dish of choice, and every peruvian will recommend you to try it when you are here. It is extremely recommendable, especially in summer (January through April), but as always do be careful where you eat. Try to avoid food stalls and go to a decent restaurant to try one. Also remember that it can be quite hot due to it's spiciness. If you prefer, you must ask IN ADVANCE to the chef to make it less spicier if that's your taste.

Everywhere in Peru, there's a great variety of way to prepare potatotes (papas, not patatas as in Spain), which is the traditional Andean vegetable.

Even though there's an ample supply of fruits and vegetables countrywide, they are still mostly considered to be a garnish for the meat. There are vegetarian restaurants in most every city, but are quite rare. There is usually everywhere a rich offer of tropical fruits and freshly pressed juices you can delight yourself on, for very low prices.

If you are counting on international fast food chains, you'll be heavily disappointed. They almost don't exists anywhere, except in Lima.

If you have a weak stomach, be very careful. Peruvian food is very spicy and heavy in general, so do try it with caution if that's your case.

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll be delighted to know that peruvians are quite proud of their desserts, especially in Lima. Again, try them with care for they tend to be extremely sweet, sugar loaded, prepared with eggs' yolks and other "unhealthy" ingredients. Among the favorites, you can try "mazamorra morada" (purple custard) made from the same corn used for the "chicha morada" drink. Another one is "arroz con leche", which is basically rice with sweet, condensed milk and a few other ingredients. You can try also a "combinado" (combination), which is the mix of the latter two. Other desserts include "Picarones", which are sort of a donut made from from fried yams dough and served with chancaca, which is a very sweet sugarcane syrup. To top the list, you have a "suspiro limeño", which is probably the sweetest dessert of them all, but quite delicious!