Peru Food and Drink
Peruvian cuisine has emerged over the past three decades as one of the most acclaimed and internationally discussed food traditions in the world, but the foundations that make it remarkable are centuries old. The country's three geographic zones, coast, Andes and Amazon, each contribute distinct ingredients, techniques and flavour profiles to a kitchen that has also been shaped by waves of immigration: Spanish, African, Japanese (Nikkei), Chinese (Chifa) and Italian influences have all been absorbed and transformed into something distinctly Peruvian. The result is a cuisine of unusual depth and variety, coherent in its use of native Andean ingredients while endlessly inventive in its application.
The Pacific coast defines Peruvian cooking in its most internationally recognisable form. Ceviche, raw fish cured in the acid of fresh lime juice with ají amarillo, red onion, coriander and salt, is the country's defining dish and a point of national pride. The technique is ancient in origin, though the addition of citrus dates from the colonial period, and the dish is consumed at all levels of society from market stalls to the world's most celebrated restaurants. The leche de tigre, the curing liquid left after the fish is dressed, is drunk as both a flavour intensifier and a traditional hangover remedy.
In the Andes, cooking is built around the extraordinary diversity of native tubers and grains. Peru has over 3,000 varieties of potato, many of them found nowhere else in the world, along with dozens of varieties of maize, quinoa, kiwicha and cañihua. Dishes such as causa, a layered terrine of yellow potato seasoned with ají amarillo and lime, and cuy, roasted or fried guinea pig, have deep pre-Columbian roots. Pachamanca, a feast in which meat and vegetables are cooked in an earth oven with heated stones, is a ceremonial dish still prepared in highland communities for celebrations.
Lima's restaurant scene is the most visible expression of Peruvian cuisine internationally, but the country's food culture is genuinely distributed. Arequipa has its own strong regional tradition, including rocoto relleno, a stuffed hot pepper baked with egg and cheese, and adobo, a pork stew marinated in chicha and spices. Piura in the north produces a distinctive style of ceviche with different local fish and a different acid balance. In the Amazon, ingredients include palm heart, plantain, yuca, paiche fish from the rivers and an array of tropical fruits unavailable elsewhere in the country.
Ceviche: Raw fish, typically corvina or lenguado, cured in fresh lime juice with ají amarillo, red onion, salt and coriander. The chemical denaturing of the proteins in the acid gives it a texture that resembles cooking without heat. Eaten with choclo (large kernel Andean corn) and sliced sweet potato. The national dish.
Lomo saltado: A stir-fry of beef strips, onions, tomatoes and ají amarillo in soy sauce and vinegar, served with chips and rice. An archetypal chifa fusion dish that has become universal on Peruvian menus at every price point.
Causa limeña: A layered terrine of yellow potato mash seasoned with ají amarillo and lime, layered with fillings such as tuna, chicken, avocado or prawn. Cold, dense and intensely flavoured, served as a starter or light main.
Ají de gallina: Shredded chicken in a rich sauce of ají amarillo, bread, walnuts, cheese and cream. A comfort dish with deep colonial-era roots, served with rice, potato and a boiled egg.
Rocoto relleno: The fiery rocoto pepper, the hottest commonly used in Peruvian cooking, stuffed with minced meat, egg and cheese and baked. A speciality of Arequipa with no close equivalent elsewhere.
Cuy: Guinea pig, roasted or fried whole. A pre-Columbian food of considerable cultural significance in the highlands, served whole or split. The flavour resembles dark-meat rabbit, and it is eaten at celebrations and festivals as well as in specialist cuyerías.
Anticuchos: Skewered and grilled beef heart, marinated in vinegar, cumin and ají panca. Sold by street vendors particularly in Lima, Cusco and Arequipa, typically in the evenings, and eaten with boiled potato and roasted maize.
Pisco Sour: Pisco grape brandy shaken with fresh lime juice, simple syrup, egg white and Angostura bitters, served chilled. The national cocktail and the standard by which any pisco bar is judged.
Chicha morada: A non-alcoholic drink made from purple maize boiled with pineapple rind, cinnamon, clove and lime juice. Deep purple, naturally sweet and slightly spiced; sold cold everywhere in Peru.
Peruvian coffee: Grown at altitude in the highland jungle transition zones of regions including Cajamarca, Junín and Cusco, Peruvian coffee has developed a quality reputation in the speciality market. Café de especialidad is available in a growing number of independent cafés in Lima and Cusco.
Tipping is expected in restaurants. In restaurants, a service charge of 10% is often included on the bill as servicio; if not included, leaving 10 to 15% is customary.
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