My Favorite Food Experiences in Peru (Part One)
Eating my way through Peru has never been just about checking restaurants off the list. It’s always been about the experiences around the food. Here’s my list of the best food experiences throughout Peru.
I’ve hand-selected experiences that are not only delicious but ones that also shed light on an essential aspect of Peruvian cuisine. The central theme of this newsletter and website is how many ways there are to enjoy Peruvian food, from street food to home-cooking to tasting menus. I wanted this list to reflect this diversity. Many of these experiences are regional, but taken as a whole, they capture the diversity of Peruvian food. Enjoy!
Enjoy Sunday Ceviche
I try to eat ceviche every day when I’m in Peru, but Sunday ceviche is always special since Sunday is family day, and many families eat ceviche together on Sunday. It feels relaxed yet there’s a bustling undercurrent of energy as waiters take orders and bring mouthwatering seafood dishes. Consider making a reservation or be open to chitchatting while waiting for a spot.
Where to go: El Mercado, La Mar, Punto Azul, … the list is truly endless.
Digger deeper: Try different types of ceviche including regional variations. Also, try ceviche in the market and at some of the trendy cevicherías making their rounds on social media. Fancy ceviche and market ceviche each have their own unique appeal.
Further reading
Celebrate the Picantería Tradition
It’s no secret that the citizens of Arequipa, also known for its colonial buildings made of white volcanic stone, are proud of their food tradition. To understand why, drop by a Picantería for lunch and sample hearty meat and potato dishes such as Rocoto Relleno (stuffed pepper) or Costillar Arequipeño (pepper-spiced lamb ribs). Or order an Americano which means you’ll get a little of everything being served that day on one plate.
Digging deeper: Picanterías throughout Arequipa feature a different soup every day of the week. Plus the repertoire of classic picantería is quite extensive. It’ll take you at least a couple of weeks to work your way through the most popular dishes. Try a few different picanterías, choose your favorite, and then become a regular.
Where to go: El Mercado, La Mar, Punto Azul, … the list is truly endless.
Further Reading:
Try Peru’s Most Infamous Dish for Yourself
Does guinea pig taste like chicken? Try you for yourself. If you don’t want to grapple with the sight of a whole guinea pig staring at you on a plate, there are many other preparations to choose from. Just do yourself a favor and walk a few blocks away from touts on the main square and find a restaurant that prepares guinea pig with respect and care. Remember that guinea pig is not just a dish made for tourists. Many Andean families raise cuy and save their consumption for special occasions.
Where to go: Pachapapa (Cusco), Kusikuy (Cusco), Panchita (Lima)
Digging deeper: The Sierra (Highland) region of Peru runs the length of Peru. Each town in the region including Cusco, Cajamarca, and Arequipa has its own regional preparations of cuy that you can try.
Further Reading
Immerse Yourself in a Market
Visiting a traditional market is one of the best ways to learn about Peruvian food. The market tradition is still very alive in Peru and forms an essential part of daily life for most Peruvians. At a market, you can see a dazzling variety of potatoes, peppers, and corn. The butcher section famously shows how Peruvians are able to make every cut of meat into a culinary delicacy. Along the coast, the seafood stalls sell only the freshest of fresh. Just about everything you see was caught that day.
You don’t need to go to the most famous market in a place. Simply find the closest market to you. There’s generally a market in every neighborhood; sometimes, they aren’t listed on Google Maps and are best found by asking locals. We usually like doing a walkthrough of a market after a ceviche lunch.
Digging deeper: Don’t just visit the market for photos. If you learn your way around the Peruvian market along with some basic haggling and language skills, you’ll be able to prepare nutritious and economical meals.
Further Reading
Splurge on a Tasting Menu
Tasting menus in Peru offer a one-of-a-kind way to experience Peruvian gastronomy. There are many tasting menus to choose from, with the ones at Central, Maido, and Astrid y Gaston being the most famous.
Each tasting menu represents a unique journey through Peruvian food. The tasting menus in Peru are generally organized around a specific theme within Peruvian cuisine since Peruvian food is so broad that it is difficult to encapsulate everything even with a dozen or more courses.
If you don’t have the budget or appetite for a full tasting menu, consider the a la carte menu at these restaurants. Also, there are an increasing number of options including smaller tasting menus that are lighter on the budget.
Digger Deeper: The more you learn about Peruvian cuisine before a tasting menu, the more you’ll appreciate the nuances of a tasting menu. For this reason, I would recommend saving a tasting menu for the end of a trip. That way you will have enough time to try various ingredients in other contexts and then see how Peruvian master chefs are able to tie everything together.
Further Reading
To Be Continued …
The first part of the list focuses on experiences that I enjoy on a regular basis and have previously written about. The next installment will include a couple of experiences I haven’t tried yet that are on my bucket list.
Love this. I must go to Peru