As the Peru SIM portal says: Peruvian food has been classified by many experts as one of the best in the world. Its richness derives from the fusion of many cultures and how ingredients and seasonings were blended in Peru to give birth to what we know today as Peruvian gastronomy.
Native dishes with local ingredients were mixed with aromas and flavors from Spain, as well as with ingredients and techniques from other cultures that arrived during the migratory waves of the 19th and 20th centuries. Japanese and Chinese in particular brought their cuisine and integrated it into Peruvian cuisine. For its great variety, aroma, originality and food richness, it is the favorite of many tourists. When arriving in Peru, one of the main reasons for many travelers’ visits is to taste a Peruvian dish and try its diversity of products.
** Have you ever heard that if you eat in Peru, you won’t want to eat anywhere else in the world? You feel captivated
Which the ten Peruvian dishes unmissable
- Pollo a la brasa
This could be the most consumed dish in Peru. The marinated meat is baked in the heat of the embers in a special oven that makes the chicken rotate on its own axis.
During the first half of the 20th century this dish, due to its cost, was considered only for the elite. Today the consumption of this chicken is widespread, and some chicken with potatoes is a common low-cost lunch
- Stuffed Causa with tuna or chicken – Causa Rellena
This is a very popular dish based on mashed yellow potato, green chili and corn, Peruvian corn. The preparation admits several variants but generally, between layers of mashed potatoes, chicken or tuna meat is placed with other vegetables.
One version in the history says that “causa” comes from the speech of José de San Martín, in which “by the general will of the people and by the justice of their cause” Peru freed itself from the Spanish yoke.
- Ceviche
The Humboldt Current that flows through the Pacific Ocean just off Peru’s coast supports one of the world’s most bountiful sources of seafood. If Peru had an official national dish, it would probably be this preparation of raw fish marinated in citrus juice. The acid in the fruit “cooks” the fish, giving it a delicate flavor and slightly chewy consistency. The dish is usually spiced with red onion and aji pepper, and served (typically at lunch) with sweet potato or choclo, a white Andean corn with dime-size kernels.
- Lomo Saltado
Lomo saltado, or stir-fry steak, is one of the best-known dishes of Peruvian gastronomy, in which its main ingredients are beef sautéed with onion and tomato, rice and fried potatoes. This dish arises from the fusion between Peruvian and Chinese-Cantonese cuisine.
- Anticuchos
Skewers of grilled, marinated meat (much like shish kebabs) are served everywhere in Peru. High-end restaurants offer them as entradas, or appetizers. Street-cart vendors sell them slathered in a garlicky sauce. While almost any meat can be prepared this way, the most traditional—and best—anticuchos are made with beef heart, a practice believed to trace back to the days when Peru’s Spanish conquerors
- Ají de Gallina
Rich, velvety stew made with chicken and milk and thickened with de-crusted white bread. A vegetarian alternative with a similar flavor is the ubiquitous papa a la huancaina, boiled potato with creamy yellow sauce.
- Papa a la Huancaína
This is undoubtedly one of the most delicious and easy to prepare dishes of Peruvian cuisine. Typical of the city of Huancayo, in Junín, it consists of boiled yellow potatoes, covered in a thick and creamy sauce made with chili, milk and bread.
- Rocoto Relleno
Originally from Arequipa. What appears to be a plain-old red bell pepper is actually a fiery Capsicum pubescens (at least ten times as hot as a jalapeño when raw, but boiled to reduce its thermonuclear properties), stuffed with spiced, sautéed ground beef and hard-boiled egg. This is topped with melted white cheese, baked, and served whole.
- Picante de Cuy
For many other non-Andean cuisines, the consumption of this animal has been problematic because there is no tradition of eating rodents of this size. Because they reproduce quickly, guinea pigs have become an important source of protein for Peruvians. The preparation of this dish varies depending on the region, but in general it has chili, abundant garlic and boiled potatoes
- Arroz con pollo (Rice with Chicken)
The rice chicken dams are cooked with diced carrot, bell pepper, capers, celery, shelled corn, green beans, onion, shelled corn, olives, and peas. All of them are mixed over a rice bed (Previously, the rice has to be seasoned with coriander, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf). The preparation is cooked for 30 minutes
