Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
STAPLES & SPECIALTIES
Given the country's craggy topography, there are an infinite number of regional cuisines.
But at a national level much of the country's cooking begins and ends with the humble
potato - which originally hails from the Andes. (All potatoes can be traced back to a single
progenitor from Peru.)
Standout dishes include
ocopa
(potatoes with a spicy peanut sauce),
papa a la huancaína
(potato topped with a creamy cheese sauce) and
causa
(mashed potato terrines stuffed with
seafood, vegetables or chicken). Also popular is
papa rellena,
a mashed potato filled with
ground beef and then deep-fried. Potatoes are also found in the chowder-like soups known
as
chupe
and in
lomo saltado,
the simple beef stir-fries that headline every Peruvian menu.
Other popular items include tamales, which are made in various regional variations -
such as
humitas
(created with fresh corn) and
juanes
(made from cassava).
Coast
First published in 2001,
The Exotic Kitchens of
Peru,
by Copeland Marks, is not only a compre-
hensive guide to traditional cooking, but a good
source of insight into the history of many dishes.
The coast is all about seafood - and ceviche,
naturally, plays a starring role. A chilled con-
coction of fish, shrimp or other seafood marin-
ated in lime juice, onions, cilantro and chili pep-
pers, it is typically served with a wedge of
boiled corn and sweet potato. The fish is cooked in the citrus juices through a process of
oxidation. (Some chefs, however, have begun to cut back on their marinating time, which
means that some ceviches are served at a sushi-like consistency.) Another popular seafood
cocktail is
tiradito,
a Japanese-inflected ceviche consisting of thin slices of fish served
without onions, sometimes bathed in a creamy hot pepper sauce.
Cooked fish can be prepared dozens of ways:
al ajo
(in garlic),
frito
(fried) or
a la chor-
rillana
(cooked in white wine, tomatoes and onions), the latter of which hails from the city
of Chorrillos, south of Lima. Soups and stews are also a popular staple, including
aguadito
(a soupy risotto),
picante
(a spicy stew) and
chupe
(bisque) - all of which can feature fish,
seafood and other ingredients.
Other items that make a regular appearance on seafood menus are
conchitas a la parmes-
ana
(scallops baked with cheese),
pulpo al olivo
(octopus in a smashed olive sauce) and
choros a la chalaca
(chilled mussels with fresh corn salsa). On the north coast, around
Chiclayo, omelets made with manta ray
(tortilla de manta raya)
are a typical dish.
None of this means that pork, chicken or beef aren't popular.
Aji de gallina
(shredded
chicken-walnut stew) is a Peruvian classic. In the north, a couple of local dishes bear repeat
