Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on October 23, 2023
Peru, the crown jewel of South America, is not only a beautiful place to visit but also has a tasty cuisine to offer. This is the culinary capital of the continent, and a place of big, bold flavors. Traditional dishes are dating back to the Incas, as well as exciting food with a modern twist. Whatever your culinary preferences are, you can find in Peruvian cuisine something for you. And here is why you may want to marked Peru on your culinary map!
Get to know ‘comida Peruana’, Peruvian cuisine
When you think about Peru, the first things that come to mind are high mountains, ancient ruins, and the famous Inca trail, but Peruvian cuisine is just as excellent as any other tourist attraction. Peru is home to flavors and dishes you won’t find anywhere in the world. The local cuisine is influenced by Spanish, Chinese cooking, among others. Peru has mountains, a jungle, and a coast, so the variety of products used in Peruvian dishes is quite wide. Also, all meals are regional, so you won’t be able to taste everything in one place. Explore Peru by the smell and taste of its food.
Juane
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TAKEAWAY: A tamal-like dish, invented by Peruvian tribes, that is made with rice, chicken, and spices. Juane was designed to equip Peruvian men for long river voyages with delicious food.
This portable snack is wrapped in the bijao, the jungle leaf. The stuffing made with rice, meat or fish, a hard-boiled egg, and black olives. Juane is traditionally served on the 24th of June, so John the Baptist feast. This dish is not only tasty but has a history behind it. The best place to try it out seems to be the colorful Belén market in Iquitos.
Ceviche
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Ceviche is the national dish of Peru, so it has to be on the list, but be careful as it can also be addictive. It is a lime-marinated dish, literally cooked by the fruit juice. It is usually made with sea bass, eventually with trout or shark. The fish is mixed with chili peppers, red onions, and cilantro. The dish is accompanied by local white corn and sweet potato. It is mouthwatering and perfectly enjoyable during a hot summer day. You can find a lot of ceviche variations around the world, but not one will be as delicious as the original Peruvian dish. It is an excellent idea to try the national dish of Peru in its capital city of Lima. Ask locals for the best cevichería. You are in for a treat.
Papa a la Huancaína
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Papa a la Huancaína is a dish for potato lovers. It comes from the Andean city of Huancayo, which is also the best place to try it out. Peru is a potato obsessed country, and this dish is here to support that claim. There are over 4,000 different types of potato grown in Peru, and in this dish, Peruvian yellow potatoes are used. The Peruvian yellow treasures are boiled, then cheese sauce is added and the addition of olives and a boiled egg, and that is it, simple and delicious.
Tacacho
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Yet another Peruvian specialty on the list that is a must-eat if you ever visit Peru. It is a dish made out of mashed green and yellow plantains with pork fat and spices. You can find Tacacho mixed with rice or bits of blood sausage. It might seem that the dish is more on the dryer side, but don’t let the looks fool you, it is pretty moist. Puerto Maldonado on the Southside of the Peruvian jungle is the best place to eat it, with many restaurants serving the dish in many variations.
Pollo a la Brasa
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The Peruvian roasted chicken, Pollo a la Brasa, is a Peruvian staple. The chicken is marinated with soy sauce, red peppers, and cumin, then roasted to perfection. It is perhaps the best replicated Peruvian dish around the world, but it is so worth it to try the original recipe. Every city, town, or village has its own chicken place in Peru, so not trying this delicious dish if you are there is actually a crime. The chicken is usually served with fried yucca or with fries. Yucca is an Andean root vegetable that has a unique taste and texture, so if you can pass on fries and try it.
Turns out that Peru id actually a pretty tasty country. Make sure to taste all of the five traditional Peruvian dishes during your trip, and your tastebuds will thank you later for doing it. Most importantly, there is a lot to try for both meat-lovers and vegetarians, so no matter what your diet is, Peruvian cuisine is for you. Peru is simply an all-inclusive place, great views, lovely history, perfect climate, and delicious food. What else do you need?
