What to Eat and Drink in Peru?

Location: Rediscover Machu Picchu > Travelling & Activities > What to Eat and Drink in Peru?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Famous Foods

There are many delicacies in Peru, some of which originate from Spain, but have a local "twist" and therefore have a peculiar taste.

Our little guide is trying to give you an idea about what you can eat in Peru. Enjoy...

Ceviche

Renowned food in Latin America in general, but especially in Ecuador, Peru and Chile.

Based on fish or other sea/ocean animals (might contain shrimps, shells).

It is basically a citrus-marinated seafood dish. It contains seafood (usually white fish meat), red onion, other vegetables (mostly salad and peppers), additionally corn. The whole thing swims in a lemon sauce.

Anticucho

Anticuchos are very popular cheap dishes, considered traditional Peruvian.

These are "meat on a stick" snacks often sold on streets. They consist of small pieces of grilled meat on sticks.

The meat is often marinated with vinegar and spices (like aji pepper, cumin, garlic).

Sometimes anticuchos are served with boiled potato or fries and mustard.

Anticucho is usually made with beef and rarely with chicken. Sometimes mixed meat.

Chicharrón

Chicharrón is a wide-spread Latin American dish consisting of fried pork rinds, some potatoes, sometimes added vegetables (salads, onion and corn are most popular).

It originates in Spain's Andalusia region, but has spread in Latin America and is also known in the Philippines, but there it is called Tsitsaron.

Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado is a dish of marinated steak. It contains vegetables too, especially fried potatoes.

The meat and potatoes are usually served over white rice.

Shambar

Shambar is a popular Andean soup. It is considered to be the traditional meal of the city of Trujillo in Peru.

It is made of wheat grains, green peas, fava beans, chickpeas and dry beans and it always contains 3 kinds of meat: chicken, ham, beef and pork skin or ears or tail.

The soup's seasoning is done with garlic, black pepper, cumin, aji panca or aji pepper (purple chili pepper), yellow chili pepper (aji mirasol), parsley and vegetable oil.
 

Alfajores

Desert...

Traditional confection in Latin America, originary from Spain.

This desert is found in all of Spain's former colonies.

It is sort of a round-shaped cookie. Its main ingredient is a biscuit that is either stuck together with cream to other biscuits and is often covered with various sweet substances (such as chocolate).

Alfajores are of many many types. They can contain honey, chocolate, peanuts, almonds, cinnamon etc.

Famous Drinks

This is a part that is interesting to the young, old, fine drink lovers and soft-drink likers, men and women, adults and children as well!

Pisco

The meaning of Pisco is Little Bird.

It is a South American liquor distilled from grapes.
 

Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century, as a cheaper alternative to the imported Spanish Orujo drink.

Both Peru and Chile consider Pisco their own traditional drink. This has often lead to disputes between the two countries.
 

The word Pisco comes from the city called Pisco, located in Peru. The origins of this word are Quechuan.
 

Regulations split the Pisco drinks into 4 categories: Pure, Aromatic, Green Must (Mosto Verde), Half-breed (Acholado).

All these refer to the content of the drink.
 

Pure: must only contain one variety of grape, most of the time this is the Quebranta specie, but Common Black (Mollar) are also used.

Aromatic: made from Muscat or Muscat-derived grapes and also from Albilla, Italia, Torontel grape varieties - the Aromatic too, must only contain a single type of grape.

Mosto Verde: distilled from partially fermented must - this must be distilled before the fermentation process has completely transformed sugars into alcohol.

Acholado: blended from the must of several varieties of grape.

The alcohol content of the Pisco is between 38 % and 48 % (76º to 86º).

Pisco also exists in cocktail variants. For instance, the Pisco Sour. This contains Pisco, lemon or lime juice, egg whites, syrup, regional bitters (Amargo bitters or Angostura bitters).

Inca Kola

A yellowish drink produced by Coca-Cola's Peruvian branch. It is also known at "Golden Cola" or "Golden Kola"...

In colour it resembles beer, only that is is slightly lighter.

The drink is available in Peru, but also in some bordering South American countries, as well as in the USA and Canada.

Inca Kola is a lemon verbena-flavoured soft drink that doesn't resemble cola at all, nor by looks, nor by taste. Some compare its taste to bubblegum, as it has a flowery sweet taste.