Peruvian culture attracts thousands of tourists from around the world every year. Iconic landmarks, cute alpacas and llamas, the mesmerizing Pacific Ocean — you can find it all in this South American country.
But an integral part of visiting any country is its national cuisine. We don't talk much about Peruvian cuisine, but believe me, there are things to try here too.
Peruvian cuisine varies from region to region. I had the opportunity to visit two of them: the Pacific coast in the country's capital, Lima, and the mountainous Andes region in the city of Cusco.
It is not surprising that Lima, like any other city on the ocean coast, is distinguished by its dishes made from fresh seafood.
Galician-style octopus (pulpo a la gallega)
I determine whether I like a restaurant or not based on its octopus. After all, the preparation of this dish can reveal the chef's skill. To make the octopus tender and melt-in-the-mouth, it is important to pay attention to its proper preparation.
Galician-style octopus consists of boiled tentacles cut into rings, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil. You can try these gifts of the ocean at many establishments in Lima.
The octopus at Awicha in Lima is delicious. I can also recommend trying the seafood soup and shrimp risotto here.
Seviche
This dish is very popular in Peru. While ceviche is just an appetizer in our country, here it is practically a cult. You can even find separate cevicherías.
Ceviche consists of thinly sliced fish and seafood drizzled with lime juice. The mixture is then sprinkled with seasonings and pepper. However, this is standard ceviche, which is popular in many other countries.
In Peru, there is a dish called "tiger's milk." Leche de tigre (Spanish for "tiger's milk") is unique in that it is drunk. That is, all the ingredients used in the preparation of regular ceviche are ground to the consistency of a cocktail. And Peruvians don't skimp on the hot peppers either. I would say that this dish is for connoisseurs.
Lomo saltado
This is a kind of hot dish consisting of marinated pieces of fillet with onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients. Veal is used as the meat. The vegetables and meat are soaked in juice and soy sauce, resulting in a very tasty dish.
Andean cuisine is, of course, different. There are practically no seafood restaurants here, as the menus in this mountainous region are based on meat.
Kuy
Almost any restaurant in Cusco will offer you a taste of the mysterious cuy. But now comes the unpleasant part. Because cuy is a guinea pig. Yes, Peruvians eat our domestic animals. They roast the rodents and attract tourists with this exotic delicacy. Many travelers, in turn, order the dish, take pictures of it, and don't eat it. They also make pies with this cute fluffy animal here. So if you are fond of these animals, it is better to ask if the filling is definitely not made from cuy.
Alpaca meat
Another dish that is equally shocking for us is alpaca meat. These cute animals are also eaten here. They are used to make steaks, stews, or burgers. Alpaca meat tastes similar to dry beef.
Pachamanka
This Peruvian dish is cooked on hot stones. Then all the ingredients are buried in the ground. It's an ancient and quick method. Pachamama includes various types of meat (lamb, pork, beef, chicken, alpaca, llama), and potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn as a side dish.
Pisco
Now let's talk about Peruvian drinks. The most common cocktail is the Pisco Sour. It is made with pisco, a strong alcoholic drink that is a type of brandy. In addition to pisco, the cocktail also includes sour citrus juice. Locals say that 2-3 of these cocktails are enough to get drunk.
In addition to Pisco Sour, they also prepare many other pisco-based cocktails here.
Inca Kola
This is a carbonated drink that was produced in Peru back in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. Its taste is very similar to our Duchess. But Inca Kola contains a local plant — lemon verbena. It is thanks to this plant that the drink has its refreshing and fruity taste.
I preferred the cuisine of the capital. Dishes made from fresh seafood! What more could you want? Well, meat lovers will definitely enjoy the city of Cusco.
