04Experiences

At the table

Peruvian cuisine

Peruvian cooking rests on four ancient staples: corn, potatoes and other tubers, Andean grains such as quinoa, and legumes. The Spanish added rice, wheat and meat, and African, Chinese and Japanese influences followed, until the food itself became a reason to travel to Peru. The national dish is ceviche: chunks of raw fish cured in freshly squeezed lime with red onion and chilli, so the flesh turns firm as if cooked, usually served with sweet potato and corn. UNESCO recognises it as an expression of traditional Peruvian cuisine and part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Lomo saltado is beef stir-fried quickly with onion, tomato and fries and served with rice, a dish born in chifa, the cooking brought by Chinese immigrants. Ají amarillo, the yellow chilli, runs through almost everything. Order ceviche at lunchtime in a seafood restaurant on the coast, where it is eaten fresh, and look out in the markets for potato varieties you will not find anywhere else.

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Traditional staples