Ceviche
Peruvian gastronomy is considered one of the most varied in the world as it is the result of the fusion of different ingredients and cultures like the Spanish, the Italian, the African, the Japanese or the Chinese, to which of course we must add the Inca. The variety of its dishes was born with miscegenation and grew as immigrants from Europe, Asia and Africa arrived at the port of Callao.
But what is behind the boom in Peruvian gastronomy? To understand it, you have to enjoy the culture, history, traditions and flavors linked to local cuisine. From the simplest of ceviches to the most sophisticated proposals from renowned restaurants.
Long before borders existed, Peru was the setting where many of the foods that are currently part of the diet of countless countries were grown.
In Peru there are thousands of varieties of potatoes and sweet potatoes, as many as tomatoes and corn, as well as six hundred species of fruits native to this land. Such a pantry has given rise to a unique, varied and very interesting gastronomic proposal.
Within the Peruvian cuisine we can distinguish: the Andean cuisine (which still maintains dishes made with pre-Inca ingredients), the coastal cuisine (dates from the vice-royal era) and the cuisine of the Amazon (as wide as it is unknown).
Andean cuisine
Pachamanca
The Inca civilization reigned in South America according to the testimonies of conquerors such as Francisco Pizarro and chroniclers of the time. Its power was absolute and the main residence of the Incas was in Cuzco, that is why Peru plays a fundamental role in this type of gastronomy with respect to countries such as Colombia, Ecuador or Bolivia.
The Peruvian highlands are synonymous with variety and Andean cuisine abounds in lollipops, soups, meats and excellent desserts based on corn, milk and fruits. Its products have high nutritional value and the ancient inhabitants of Peru knew how to combine them to create rich flavors without losing their natural properties. To achieve this, wood-fired ovens and clay pots are part of the Inca wisdom to preserve the nutrients in food.
Meats, grains, tubers and herbs are the basis of its gastronomic tradition and with these ingredients strong dishes are made such as pachamanca, pataca, spicy puka, chochoca and chairo among many others.
The desserts are characterized by the use of corn, milk and some fruits from the heights. The chapana, the quesillo with honey, the cocadas, the manjarblanco and the jellies (blackberry and elderberry sweets) stand out. As for alcoholic beverages, artisanal spirits, wines and ciders are the most marketed together with corn chicha.
Coastal cuisine
Shrimp soup
Regarding the Peruvian coastal cuisine, it is made up of a variety of dishes and species, among which are marine cuisine and Creole cuisine.
The main characteristics of the coastal cuisine are the mixture of ingredients, their variety and the colorful presentation of the dishes. Each coastal region adapts its cuisine to the products offered by its salty and sweet waters (among which are mainly the Amazon River and its tributary Lake Tititaca).
The warm climate of the Peruvian north coast offers the demanding taste of our visitors a variety of seafood and fish that delight your palate. A delicious way to taste the varied flavors of ceviche, a raw fish-based dish seasoned with a lime juice and coriander sauce that is the most popular dish in the country internationally.
Other dishes stand out such as the shrimp chupe, a typical dish from the department of Arequipa made with fish, shrimp, potatoes, milk and chili. In Peru there are many varieties of lollipops such as the bean lollipop, the Zapallo lollipop or the Olluquito lollipop.
As for desserts, the coastal cuisine has more than 250 varieties of traditional desserts mainly originated in the coastal cities since the time of the Viceroyalty of Peru, such as the Lima sigh, the picarones, the nougat or the purple mazamorra , among others.
Cuisine of the Amazon
Picuro barbecue via Made in Tingo María
The cuisine of the Amazon of Peru welcomes us with its exotic dishes. Its base is products obtained directly from nature such as hearts of palm, banana, rice, fish or poultry. However, other meats such as lamb or pork are consumed.
Some of the most famous dishes of Peruvian Amazon cuisine are tacacho, juanes, asado de picuro, apichado or patarashca. As for the broths, the inchicapi (chicken stewed with peanuts, coriander and yucca) and the carachama broth (made with fish and eaten with bananas and coriander) stand out.
As for the drinks, fresh fruit juices such as aguajina and cocona stand out, as well as other drinks such as masato, chuchuhuasi, uvachado and chapo, prepared with banana or milk.