A food shop sign in Peru
Lewis the Lion’s first experience of Peruvian food and drink was on the island of Amantani in the middle of Lake Titicaca and wasn’t that a bit of a shock to the system when the main meal was guinea-pig or ‘cuy’ as they call it in South America?! He realised that this was a popular dish particularly in the mountainous parts of Peru and he even saw a picture of it as a dish at the ‘Last Supper’ in a painting in Cusco Cathedral, as well as in the San Franciscan Monastery in Lima!
Lewis the Lion and a guinea-pig dinner!
In the mountainous areas, such as Arequipa and Cusco, quinoa – the super-food grain was still in plentiful supply in soups and salads.
A delicious vegetable, potato and quinoa soup
There are said to be over 3,000 varieties of potatoes in Peru (or ‘papas’ as they are called in South America) and you can find out more about the different types if you click here.
Like in Bolivia, on high ground, llama and alpaca steaks are still a popular choice at local restaurants, as is a dish called lomo saltado. This is a bit like beef stir-fry, cooked with onions, tomatoes and potatoes; and like most meals in Peru it is usually served with rice.
Fruit and vegetables are abundant in Peru as Lewis discovered on his Inca Jungle Trek Adventure. (Check out Part 1 of his adventure to find out more). One of his favourite vegetables, avocado, he discovered is called ‘palta‘ in Peru, like in Chile.
He also loved buying fresh ‘tuna‘ on the streets. But this wasn’t the fishy variety but rather the cactus fruit which was deliciously juicy. One time when Lewis bought a freshly cut slice of pineapple from a street seller, it was so juicy that it slipped straight onto the ground – oh dear! Luckily the kind seller gave him another piece!
The ‘tuna’ cactus fruit is red and juicy when ripe
‘Chifle‘ is often a side-dish or snack which is fried slices of green or ripe plantain. (You can often see lots of plantain trees, especially the further north you head towards the more tropical parts of Peru). It looks a bit like banana but tastes nothing like it! Here Lewis is eating a packet of them on the aeroplane:
A savoury plantain snack
Another favourite dish in Peru, especially in the coastal areas is ‘Ceviche’ or ‘Cebiche’ and there are many restaurants selling it called ‘Cevicherias.’ Lewis the Lion just loved this dish as it was so light, yet filling and fresh tasting.
Lewis eats ceviche
Ceviche is fish that has been marinated in lemon, chilli and onions and often has coriander too. It is often served with sweet potato and crunchy corn. However, you need to watch out for some deceptive looking peppers which often accompany ceviche! (See on the photo above). One time Helen nearly burnt her mouth out eating a pepper that she thought was a regular bell-pepper. It wasn’t, but rather a very hot chilli pepper called ‘ricoto!’
If you would like a challenge with your Spanish to learn about the different peppers in Peru, click here! Lewis the Lion wonders how much you’ll be able to understand? Can you read for gist?
Like in most countries, especially in the big cities, there is a wide variety of international cuisines but Lewis the Lion found out that Chinese food isn’t quite called that in Peru. Instead they call it ‘Chifa‘ which Lewis the Lion rather liked the sound of!
Chinese food is called Chifa in Peru
As for drinks, well as Lewis the Lion mentioned on the country fact-file on Peru, Peru’s biggest selling soft drink is Inca Kola which Lewis thought tasted just like bubblegum!
Peru’s favourite soft drink: Inca Kola
Generally there seemed to be a lot more sugar in it than usual but you can buy the diet version ‘Inca Kola light’ too as well as other local soft-drink brands.
Other brands of Cola are available in Peru
The other thing that Lewis the Lion realised was quite unusual about Peru, especially in the highlands was that they didn’t have milk. If you ask for a ‘cafe con leche’ or a milky coffee, generally you are brought a black coffee with some condensed milk to stir in. In shops, you could often see tins of it stacked up like on this photo:
A typical food store in Peru
Some popular food brands, Lewis the Lion noticed were called Gloria and Lays.
Like parts of Bolivia and Argentina which are also on high ground, in Peru there is still a tradition of having coca-leaf tea to combat altitude sickness. Breakfasts are often simple affairs with bread, butter and jam but always with a choice of coffee or coca-leaves!
Lewis grabs a Peruvian breakfast
Which Peruvian food would you like to try the most and why?
