8 Typical Foods and Drinks from Peru
I had wanted to go there for years, and finally the time had come: my trip to Peru! Together with two friends, I traveled around the country and saw the most beautiful highlights. We were amazed everywhere we went – including in restaurants, supermarkets, and bars. Because the food and drinks here really are just a little different from those in Europe. These are 8 typical dishes, snacks, and drinks from Peru; would you like to try them?
1. Ceviche
Our first stop was Lima, the culinary capital of South America and one of the best culinary cities in the world. Say Peru and you say ceviche: white fish cooked in lime or lemon juice. This is immediately the most famous dish from Peru. You can find it here, and in the Netherlands too, for that matter, on many menus. Not surprising, because ceviche is delicious. The distinctive flavors really make you feel like you’re in South America. We ate it at Barra Maretazo, a small restaurant serving typical Peruvian cuisine. Want to make ceviche yourself? This ceviche recipe is one of our favorites.
2. Alpaca
I almost feel bad writing this down, but yes: in Peru, we tried alpaca meat. It took quite a few days to make that decision, I can tell you. We had already seen far too many adorable alpacas wandering around. Still, we wanted to cross another Peruvian delicacy off our food bucket list. So we went for an alpaca burger. We liked it; like beef, but a little sweeter. Definitely recommended – although afterward, it is a bit harder to look at one of those woolly animals.
3. Guinea pig
Uh, yes. Your adorable childhood pet that used to innocently squeak in its cage is simply served on your plate in Peru. You can sometimes get that reality thrown in your face when you order it; often, the guinea pig is served ‘whole’ right in front of you. I’ll be honest: we skipped this dish. Hypocritical? Absolutely, but we found a whole guinea pig too confronting. In Peru, guinea pig is genuinely a festive dish. Because many tourists want to try it, it is appearing on menus more and more often. Apparently, it tastes a bit like chicken. Would you dare try it, a fried guinea pig?
4. Lomo saltado
A delicious stew is real comfort food, right? Lomo saltado is exactly that for Peruvians. It consists of meat stir-fried in a mildly spicy soy-vinegar sauce, often accompanied by tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion. It is usually served with rice, and sometimes you also get a portion of fries. It is an incredibly delicious dish that goes down especially well after a serious hike. Nine times out of ten, lomo saltado is served with steak, although sometimes you can also choose alpaca meat. Then you can go full Peru style .
5. Pisco Sour
Pisco Sour is Peru’s signature cocktail. You can literally order it in every bar. It looks deliciously tropical, with a light yellow color, a foamy layer, and a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Pisco itself is a grape-based drink. In a Pisco Sour, it is mixed with egg white (hence the foam), cane sugar, lime juice, and some ice. In Lima, there are several hotels where you can take cooking classes and learn how to make classic Peruvian dishes, including Pisco Sour and other pisco cocktails such as Pisco Punch, Capitán, and Chilcano. I had some pretty strong Pisco Sours in Lima. So it’s a good idea to order a lomo saltado first..
6. Coca leaves, coca tea, and coca candies
A large part of Peru lies at high altitude. Many people heading to Cusco – and most do, because Machu Picchu is in that region – therefore try coca leaves or coca candies. Let’s get straight to the point: cocaine is made from coca leaves. However, coca leaves themselves are absolutely not drugs. If you chew the leaves, you do not experience the same effects as snorting cocaine. They can, however, reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. And that is pretty useful! So you can chew the leaves, but they are also made into tea or candy. During hikes at high altitude, we sucked on coca candies, and we really felt as though we were getting more oxygen in.
7. Inca Kola
This bright yellow drink tastes just as chemical as it looks. Inca Kola tastes exactly like bubble gum. You know, those incredibly sweet, rock-hard balls that come in a long strip. Peruvians absolutely love Inca Kola, while most tourists often want nothing to do with it. I certainly can’t see it appearing on our supermarket shelves anytime soon. If you want to try it, Peru is definitely the place to be.
8. Tequeños
Tequeños were our favorite snack during our trip to Peru. They are a kind of cheese stick, and you really can’t go too wrong with those. Together with guacamole, they make an incredibly delicious snack to enjoy with drinks. They originally come from Venezuela, by the way, but you can find them everywhere in Peru too. We also tried tequeños with lomo saltado once, and secretly liked those even better than the cheese versions. Want to make them yourself? Try this recipe for Tequeños. A hit at your next drinks party, guaranteed?
Want to try even more Peruvian flavors? At Moche in Amsterdam, you can experience Peruvian cuisine at its best!
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