10 Most Popular Foods in Peru

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Among the Latin American cuisine, the Peruvian Cuisine is super exotic and full of incredible flavors. In Peru, you will get to experience several ancient Incan dishes. Also, Peruvian cuisine is influenced by the ingredients brought by immigrants from Spain, Italy, Germany, China, Japan, and so on. The dominant ingredients of Peruvian cuisine are papa Amarilla, red onion, cilantro, rice, chicken, tomato, fish, etc. Let’s know about the delicacies we can expect to taste in Peru.

1. Shrimp Ceviche

Popular as the national dish of Peru, Shrimp Ceviche is truly a lip-smacking dish made with slightly cooked fish (shrimp in this case). Various types of fish, such as Corvina, shrimp, salmon, etc., are used for cooking this delicious yet authentic dish. Chefs also add a bit of hot chiles, lime juice, freshly cut onions, salt, pepper, roasted corn kernels, etc., in the dish. This ceviche will be pretty crunchy in nature.

Recipe for Shrimp Ceviche

2. Lomo Saltado

Are you fond of beef delicacies? If you are, this Lomo Saltado or stir-fry beef will blow your mind. This classic Peruvian dish is prepared with tender beef strips. If you are cooking the recipe from scratch, first, marinate the beef strips with soy sauce, aji chilies, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, other herbs, and spices. You can serve the dish with some spicy potato and a bowl full of rice.

Recipe for Lomo Saltado

3. Aji de gallina

In English, the dish is named creamy chicken. Made with thick sauce, the dish features shredded chicken, cheese, ground walnuts, etc. The natives of Peru add aji Amarillo to the recipe for its authentic flavor and taste. If you are serving the Aji de gallina to the guests, put in the plates some black olives, boiled potatoes, etc.

Recipe for Aji de gallina

4. Papas a la huancaina

This is a Peruvian street food made in a creamy sauce. The dish features thinly sliced golden potatoes, garlic, evaporated milk, lime juice, aji Amarillo, etc. Finally, the dish is topped with a soft-boiled egg. It can be served as an appetizer as well.

Recipe for papas a la huancaina

5. Causa

This savory dish is nothing but a potato casserole. To prepare this dish, the natives of Peru use yellow Peruvian potatoes. The dish is cake-shaped. But, in the middle, there is shredded meat filling. Instead of chicken, you can use tuna, salmon in shredded form as well. In other layers of Causa, there remains sliced avocado, hard-boiled egg, olives, and other ready-to-eat vegetables.

Recipe for Causa

6. Rocoto Relleno

These are nothing but stuffed spicy red peppers. For the stuffing, the natives of Peru use ground beef, olives, onions, garlic, raisins, and other spices. Well, before trying this dish, you should know that rocoto peppers are hotter than a jalapeno pepper. So, there will be a long-lasting burn after the first bite of this Peruvian delicacy.

Recipe for Rocoto Relleno

7. Cuy

In the Andes region of Peru, it is a trend to eat Guinea Pig meat. These are generally dark meat with crispy golden skin. The Cuy is so soft that it melts inside your mouth easily. This traditional Peruvian Cuy is stuffed with locally found herb stuffing.

Recipe for Cuy

8. Arroz con pato

If you have ever tasted duck meat, this Arroz con pato will make your meal an extraordinary one. This signature Peruvian dish is served with a glass full of dark beer. An earthy flavor comes from this roasted duck meat.

Recipe for Arroz con pato

9. Alpaca meat

This is a tasty yet exotic delicacy of Peru made from the meat of cute little animals. The tenderness, taste, and smell of Alpaca meat can vary between different parts of Peru. According to many, Alpaca meat is tastier than beef steak.

Recipe for Alpaca meat

10. Chicharron

Though the food is a little unhealthy, it looks like a crispy American burger. The chefs of Peru generally use fried pork belly to the dish in shredded form. This street food features freshly sliced onion rings along with mustard sauce, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, etc. The entire dish is fried in pork fat. That is why it is super delicious.

Recipe for Chicharron

Sources:

Wikipedia

LivingOutLau

1111 Peruvian Bistro