Our beloved Peru is considered by many to be one of the best (if not the best) gastronomy in Latin America. With our traditions, fusion of cultures, varieties and freshness of ingredients, it is difficult to deny such distinction. Above all, with dishes like ceviche, lomo saltado or ají de gallina; so unique and at the same time so traditional.
1) It has its own identity despite its countless influences The mix of flavors in Peruvian cuisine reflects the mix of cultures that have arrived in Peru in the last 500 years. It began with pre-Hispanic cuisine that gave us dishes and cooking methods such as pachamanca and guinea pig chactado. Then, when Spanish colonization began in the 16th century, Arabic-influenced dishes were introduced to the menu; onions, spices and honey desserts are now essential in every meal. When Chinese immigrants arrived in the 19th century, their cuisine merged perfectly with traditional dishes, allowing the creation of the popular dish, today known as chifa. Other great gastronomic influences are African, Italian and Japanese cuisines.
2) The power of reinvention
Although Peruvian cuisine is the product of cultural fusion, ingredients and cooking methods, the adaptation of traditional dishes to modern cuisine is the result of the gastronomic boom of recent years.
3) In Peru, everything is mixed: from the popular street combo composed of ceviche, chifa and huancaína potato, to avant-garde cuisine that introduces new textures and flavors, often served in the most elegant restaurants in Lima.
4) The best pisco This liquor with some resemblance to brandy, known as Pisco sour, is an excellent aperitif to precede lunch or dinner. Pisco is distilled in southern regions of the country such as Moquegua, Arequipa, Tacna and Ica. In fact, in this last region there is a city called Pisco. There are a series of varieties that differ in aroma and flavor: pisco acholado, italia, mosto verde and quebranta. You can visit some of the best pisco distilleries if you want to leave Lima for a day or two.
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