I was very pleasantly surprised by Peruvian food. I had a wide variety of meals and sometimes had my camera with me when I ate. One of the best Peruvian meals that I had was the first time I had ceviche: raw fish and seafood marinated in lemon juice. Yes, it sounds horrible but was actually amazingly good. There is a recipe for Peruvian ceviche at an interesting website. You don’t have to use tuna, any white fish is fine too. Click ceviche for the link.
A wonderful Peruvian breakfast in a village on the edge of the Colca Canyon. Note the coca leaf tea. There is a big debate whether it should be legalised. I have noticed no apparent side effects of drinking it – at least not yet.
Another breakfast: fresh mango juice, papaya and melon – not a bad start to the day.
Some very tasty dips from a restaurant in Arequipa.
BBQ beef hearts and yams. This was just a starter.
Tasty pizza served on a slice of log.
My birthday meal in a restaurant in Arequipa. This was the main course.
The delightfully named ‘sweaty fish’ which was very tasty.
Maize, beef strips and crisps.
The wonderful shack in which the food was served.
Chicamorada. A maize drink – I’m not sure why it is black.
More ceviche – this time on the Pacific coast.
There’s a lobster under there somewhere.
Ah yes, there it is – and it was delicious.
Pisco Sour – the national drink of Peru made with a strong spirit and egg white.
Yams and meat – though I’m not sure what kind.
Deep fried cheesy snacks with an avocado dip.
Burger and chips – Peruvian style.
A Peruvian school dinner. Meat, rice and white beans. Delicious and healthy.
Some cute little guinea pigs. What are they doing on a website about Peruvian food?
You’ve probably guessed. Guinea pigs are an important part of Peruvian food. They are called cuy, pronounced ‘cwee’, which is an approximation of the noise that guinea pigs make. The taste is not bad but there’s very little meat on it – not surprising really. They would probably be much better stewed rather than roasted as the meat would come away from the bones far more easily.
A regular steak and chips.
High in the hills behind Cajamarca were these two ladies selling lunch. For some reason, Peruvian potatoes taste a lot better than potatoes elsewhere.
A closer look inside their pots. Chunks of pork, potatoes and boiled eggs. Delicious food – and very locally sourced.
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elderflower syrup tomato sauce chutney pesto chestnut soup rosehip syrup lentil burgers yoghurt
The chicha morada is purple, dark purple, because it is simply made by boiling purple corn! Then you add lemon and sugar and serve it very cold, delicious!