My Favorite Food Experiences in Peru (Part Two)
Many visitors to Peru plan their trip around experiences like hiking the Inca Trail and sandboarding the dunes of Huacachina but overlook the gastronomic experiences that would naturally fit into their itinerary. Here is my personal list of favorite food experiences throughout Peru. Part one is here.
Eat as the Incas Did
Believe it or not, the origin of many Peruvian dishes dates back to Incan times. If you’re lucky enough to see pachamanca (“earth pot” in Quechua) in action, you can see how the Incans built an oven from the ground up, using rocks, banana leaves, and dirt.
Another way to get a taste of Incan cooking is to order Chiriuchu, an epic dish that features diverse ingredients from all parts of Peru. With many types of meat and ingredients from the ocean, this dish was conceived to capture the vastness of the Incan empire. The preparation of Chiricuchu is typically reserved for Corpus Christi in June, but there are a couple of restaurants in Cusco that serve it year-round.
Try Your Hand at Cooking Peruvian Food
A cooking class is a fun, interactive experience that will bring you closer to Peruvian food. There are several to choose from in Cusco and Lima. Some even include a market tour. I recommend classes where you learn the secret to making good ceviche and get to try making Lomo Saltado with big flames.
Digger Deeper: You can continue building on what you learned from a class and work your way through the recipes of a Peruvian cookbook (I recommend several here). If you are in Peru and want full immersion, you can pick up a Spanish cookbook and source your ingredients from your neighborhood market.
Watch Reed Boat Fishermen in Action
Many visitors to Trujillo photograph the caballitos de totora, the iconic reed boats lined up along the beach. However, these boats are more than just decoration. The boats are still used daily by local fishermen who fish the traditional way. You can even buy fish and crab directly from them.
Digging Deeper: For a small fee, you can take a short ride in a caballito. However, you may smell like fish afterward!
Further Reading
Discover the Bounty of the Jungle
The Peruvian Amazon is one of the best places to sample exotic fruit. Aguaje, cocona, camu camu, noni, … the list goes on. The fruit from the jungle is not only tasty but also highly nutritious, packed with vitamins. In the jungle, you can find fresh fruit at any market or in fresh juices and desserts in restaurants.
Sample Your Way Through the Classic Pisco Cocktails
The Pisco sour is legendary and rightfully so, but it isn’t the only Pisco cocktail you should try. Pisco, the grape brandy originating in Peru (don’t let people tell you otherwise), comes in a multitude of varieties and is featured in several classic cocktails.
Each Pisco cocktail has its own personality and unique origin story. The shortlist of Pisco cocktails to try includes Pisco Sour (classic and refreshing), Chilcano (divine in its simplicity), Pisco Punch (fruity, goes well with a ceviche lunch), and El Capitan (when you are in the mood for something stronger).
Digging Deeper: Cocktails are not the only way to enjoy Pisco. There are eight types of grapes used to make pisco. One way to appreciate these varietals is to look for mosto verde, a more aromatic type of Pisco that is best appreciated pure.
Talk to Locals About Food
Peruvians love to talk about food. Talking about food is one of the best icebreakers. Just ask just about anyone in Peru what they ate for lunch or where their favorite cevichería is. Just make sure you don’t have anywhere that you have to be!
You’ll find that a little bit of Spanish goes a long way. A lot of my early Spanish conversations about food involved a lot of pointing and hand motions.
Digging Deeper-You never know where these conversations will take you. Next thing you know you may be invited over for a family dinner or even a wedding. One of the best ways to get restaurant recommendations is to talk to someone local sitting next to you at a restaurant that you’re currently enjoying.
To Be Continued …
I will finish this short series of posts about great food experiences in Peru with Experiences that I haven’t yet done but look forward to.
Also, some readers may notice that many of these experiences don’t have links to other stories. That’s because these stories haven’t been written yet! Many more stories about my past and future travel through Peru are to come. Please subscribe so that you don’t miss anything.
Wow, again. I am completely inspired to go to Peru, thank you