Brazilian and Argentine food are both good. Mexican restaurants dominate the dining scene, but Peruvian food is the best in Latin America.
Here’s the skinny on the signature dishes.
Ceviche
To make ceviche, marinate raw fish in lemon juice to kill the bacteria and serve raw. Who would try that? Whoever’s idea it was didn’t stop there. They thought it’d be good with sweet potato. Raw fish in lemon juice with sweet potato. But sweet and sour wasn’t enough. They created an-all out oral orgy by adding spicy to the mix, via fresh rocoto. Sour, sweet, and spicy. Add cancha for crunch. Also seaweed for … I don’t know what seaweed brings. But I eat it all.
Ceviche’s rarely served with creamy sauces and calamari as in the first pic. And if you skip the cancha, ceviche’s a super-healthy plate. Raw fish is loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Lemon juice adds your RDI of Vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are so low on the glycemic index they’re not considered a starch. Seaweed is a common ingredient in fat burner pills. All that healthy goodness and it’s delicious!
I actually have a horrible case of acid reflux disease. Acid comes up from my stomach when I sleep. Five years ago it was so bad the acid ate away the enamel on four of my teeth, which I had to have capped. A doctor gave me a list of behaviors that aggravate acid reflux, and I noted that I was very guilty of 4 out of 7: spicy food, caffeine (especially coffee), alcohol, and eating before exercise.
Eating ceviche is worse than all of those. No food’s more acidic than lemon juice. Drinking the leche de tigre (Tiger Milk, the fishy lemon juice at the bottom of the bowl) after finishing all the food is like injecting acid into my gums. But I don’t care. I ALWAYS DRINK THE LECHE DE TIGRE. Sometimes I add it to beer.
I won’t live a life without ceviche, especially in Peru. I just spent a few months in Arequipa and Lima and I ate ceviche at least once a week, often two or three times. At one point my acid reflux got so bad the nerves in my front teeth inflamed and my gums swelled up. I have to take Ranitidina pills to eat ceviche so much, but it’s worth it. It’s nothing less than oral orgasm.
Arroz con Pollo / Pato
Every country has their own version of arroz con pollo – rice with chicken. Colombia’s version isn’t bad, but it’s inferior to Peru’s. To make Peruvian arroz con pollo, you need two different types of cilantro (there are two kinds) in enough quantity to turn the rice green. Saute chicken or duck thighs (duck tastes better). Cook peas and diced carrots with the cilantro-fied rice. Top the rice with chicken or duck, red pepper, tomato, and red onion. Add a ton of aji like me.
Sometimes Peruvian arroz con pollo is served with huancaína — a creamy, yellow sauce made from milk, cheese, oil, crackers, onion, and mirasol ají — as if it needed more flavor!
Ají de Gallina
Another perfect example of experimental cooking is seen in aji de gallina, a creamy chicken sauce served with rice. The sauce is made with evaporated milk, mild yellow peppers, Parmesan cheese, garlic, onion, and crushed peanuts.
Cook shredded chicken breast into the sauce. When thoroughly cooked, top the sauce with a boiled potato, hard boiled eggs, and black olives. Serve with rice.
Let’s do an ingredient roll call:
- Evaporated milk
- Yellow ají
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic and onion
- Pecans
- Chicken
- Potato
- Boiled eggs
- Black olives
Who would think to mix those?
Seco de Cordero
Seco de cordero receives little mention when people drool over Peruvian food. But it’s one of the best.
Sauteed lamb meat in another experimental sauce. Mix in a blender water, spinach, cilantro, yellow ají, a little onion and garlic. Seems strange, tastes great. Add peas and a boiled potato after making the sauce.
Seco de res is the same dish with beef in place of lamb.
Lomo Saltado
Everybody raves for Lomo Saltado.
Fry potato strips (french fries). Then saute strips of steak with soy sauce, diced tomato and onion. Use enough oil and soy sauce for there to be a good amount of juice at the bottom. Once cooked, throw the fries in and toss it all so the juice mixes with everything. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with rice.
Some restaurants add the fries separately so they stay dry.
In my opinion lomo saltado doesn’t need rice because it already has a good amount of starch in the potatoes. I’m not as anti-rice as when I wrote My Rice Rant, but I still cut it whenever possible, and you can always cut it from Lomo Saltado. Below is a dinner I cooked for Milagros: Lomo Saltado sin arroz with Argentine Cabernet and Strawberries & Cream for dessert. Damn I’m good.
Tacu Tacu
Another Lima specialty is the Afro-Peruvian creation, tacu tacu. Beans mixed with onion, garlic and yellow aji pepper are tossed in rice and formed into a ball, then fried. The mold is topped with fried egg and served with a fried plantain and a sirloin filet.
Ceviche is my favorite Peruvian dish, but my favorite plate in Lima is a tacu tacu variant served at El Rincon Que No Conoces in Lince. Their ‘Tacu Tere’, named for the late chef, Teresa Izquierdo, is tacu tacu stuffed with beef or pork tenderloin and served with fried tomato and onion with chorizo, fried egg and plantain. The flavor contrasts are guaranteed to please.
Chifa
There was a giant influx of Chinese immigrants to Peru in the early 20th century. Chifa is Peruvian-Chinese fusion. In Barrio Chino and parts of Lince, you can find roasted ducks hanging in storefront windows. The best ones are in Lima’s Chinatown featured in the Downtown Lima Walking Tour. If you love Chinese food, you should try the Peruvian fusion.
Chaufa is fried rice. Pollo enrollado, a battered and fried tube of chicken breast served with steamed veggies and rice, is Colin’s favorite. Pollo chijuakai (sesame chicken), pollo tipakay (sweet and sour chicken), and chancho con tamarindo (pineapple pork) are other chifa staples.
See the Barrio Chino album of pictures on the Expat Chronicles Facebook page.
Chicharrón de Cerdo
In Colombia, chicharrón means pork rind, but not like the salty snacks in the States. Colombian pork rinds are deep fried pig skin. Cuts can range from pure grease and fat to very lean and red. Most are pretty greasy with a skin so hard it could break a tooth. One of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s stories features a character who chipped a tooth eating chicharrón.
In Peru, chicharrón simply means deep-fried. So they have chicharron de pollo (deep-fried chicken), chicharron de cerdo (deep-fried pork), and even chicharron de camaron (deep-fried shrimp). I didn’t eat pork or shellfish for over three years to avoid heathen food. I resumed eating pork when I moved to Colombia because bandeja paisa, the national dish and one of my top 4 Colombian dishes, features three (four if it comes with morcilla) pork foods: a chicharrón pork rind, chorizo, and beans cooked in pork fat. I took pork back, but shellfish only rarely, and I’ll never eat truly heathen shit like dogs or snakes.
I never had Peruvian chicharrón until I went back. It’s delicious. Heathen eating at its finest. Generous with the ají. Served with lightly fried potatoes, onion, and mint leaves with lemon juice.
There’s no reason Colombians can’t serve this. There’s nothing difficult about it. Colombians already eat a lot of pork and a lot of deep-fried food. Why don’t they deep fry pork? Maybe it’s too tasty for the Colombian palate.
Here’s a shot of chicharrón de camaron, deep-fried shrimp. It’s fried so hard that people eat the shell. They can chew and digest the entire shrimp. Crunchy seafood, the swine of the sea.
Causa
Causa is an inventive wonder. It’s a mashed potato cake with chicken salad filling and avocado. Golden potatoes are why it’s yellow. Lemon juice is added to the mashed potato before laying with filling.
If chicken salad sandwich with avocado sounds good, it’s even better with mashed potato instead of bread. It’s very filling.
Causa’s not only made with chicken. It often has tuna salad inside. The first shot is chicken causa, the second is tuna.
Those are the two main variants, but there are others. Causa is limeña, as is ceviche. So it’s commonly served as an appetizer in small portions at cevicherias. In the third shot, you see chicken causa drizzled with mayo, octopus causa drizzled with black olive sauce, and shrimp causa drizzled with spicy aji sauce – in appetizer portions.
In addition to chicken and tuna, they make lobster causa, and all-other-kinds-of-shellfish-I-don’t-recognize-causa. Some are purple, some are green. That last shot is a spread from world-famous Peruvian chef, Gaston Acurio.
The best causas are found at Lima seafood restaurants. You can usually find a sampler with three or four variants like in the CesArts shot. Don’t miss that if visiting Lima!!!
My favorite is plain old chicken causa with a ton of ají.
Asado de Ternero con Pure de Papa
This is another one that won’t come recommended because there are so many other delicious plates to eat first. But this one’s definitely worth it.
Roasted veal in a beef gravy served with very thin mashed potatoes and rice.
Rocoto Relleno
The most revered plate of Arequipa, the source of their provincial pride, is Rocoto Relleno.
Rocoto is the spicy pepper in Peruvian cuisine. It’s the shape, color, and size of a red pepper. It’s de-seeded and de-stemmed, then stuffed with steak strips, cheese, boiled egg, black olives, peanuts, raisins (sometimes), and then baked. The cheese oozes out from the top. I’m not much of a stuffed peppers guy, but rocoto relleno is damn good. In fact I eat one at least once a week in Arequipa.
Rocoto Relleno is served with pastel de papa, or potato cake. Layers of thin sliced potato baked with cheese and eggs. If they skimp on the cheese and eggs, it’s too dry for me. But when they’re generous with cheese and eggs, pastel de papa is the perfect compliment to Rocoto Relleno.
Rocoto Relleno is a staple of Arequipeño cuisine, which deserves its own article in itself. See 10 Things to Eat in Arequipa.
Inca Kola
Peru’s famous and strangely unique national soda, Inca Kola. It’s the color of plutonium and tastes like bubble gum. The brand was so successful it’s been bought out by Coca Cola. Read the interesting history of this soda on En Peru.
Conclusion
This article still doesn’t do Peruvian food justice. I’m STILL missing some good plates like Giro de Zapallo, Caigua Rellena, and over half of the Arequipa soups. If you have pics, send them in and I’ll put them in.
Expat Chronicles 
“No bullshit, they have pasta soup.”
I agree it is weird. I almost never eat soup in Colombia.
Chicken soup is just boiling chicken in water – it is horrible.
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Now that I’ve been in Peru 3 months, I couldn’t agree more about the wide difference in quality between Colombian and Peruvian cuisine.
For me, food alone isn’t a reason alone to live one place over another, but I’m enjoying the dining scene in Lima much more than I ever did in Medellin (save a few exceptions).
While I’m not a cebiche fan (too acidic for me to enjoy), I have been enjoying the higher quality sushi here. And alpaca is awesome!
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Great review on Peruvian food. I’m going to make it a point to search for a Peruvian restaurant here in texas. I gotta check this out. Thanks.
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Oh man, that did hurt (truth always does). I agree in what you’re saying. I’ve eaten in many countries in latin america, Europe and USA and always find their cooking amazing. I mean, see the other way around: it’s so easy to impress a Colombian with food that the restaurant hype in Bogotá has its roots right there.
I was hearing a podcast about food and flavors in USA and it explained that in the 50’s or 60’s the food was incredibly bland and flavorless for today’s standards because although there were inmigration, people didn’t tried hard other cultures food and that was a process that started around the seventies.
I think nowadays Colombia is starting through that same process: experimentation (go to Abasto, Donostia or Leo Cocina y Cava) although we haven’t many inmigrants the food movement is spreading quite fast.
That makes me remember a couple years ago when friends wanted a restaurant suggestion in Bogotá that for me represented the most likable dishes currently available for the locals. My answer? try Crepes and Waffles.
PS. It is not APCM, it’s ACPM, because of the word game that results from the way we call the diesel in Colombia (ACPM stands for Aceite Combustible Para Motores) which is the fuel of the trucks and the other ACPM is the fuel for the colombian body.
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I second that on the guinea pig. It was probably the most disgusting thing I had ever eaten until I had sheep’s eye in China.
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I was born in Peru and now live in Colombia, I’m a very very happy man here, this is a fantastic country and I love everything about Colombia …..except when it comes to food of course. You’re right , Colombian food is basically very limited, mostly boring and they’re very reluctant to try new things, but I’m confident that with this new boom of expats coming to Colombia and the amount of travelers staying here for long periods of time , Colombian food will eventually evolve and get influenced by more “international” flavors(They love my Aji de Gallina con arepa teriyaki here 🙂 ) That;s the same thing that happened in Chile: I lived in Santiago for 5 years and I have to say typical Chilean food is -by far- the worst in the continent (not only as bland as Colombian food, but really distasteful too) but it has improved a lot in the last decade due to the influence of international chefs, specially from Peru.
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Colombian food is poop, all fried, flavorless garbage. But, I guess the saying “you are what you eat” is a load of crap because Colombian girls eat bullshit and still look the best.
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I totally agree that generally speaking, Colombian food is bland. However, if one spends the time to search out good places to eat, good food can be had in Colombia. It is ironic that it is so hard to find great food in a country like Colombia that has all of the ingredients available, but the general population refuses to put them together in a way that is beyond just “ok”.
One thing I miss from Colombia is the street carne, cooked over wood. Thin sliced sirloin beef – can’t be messed up unless burnt. Sopa de mondongo … never had a batch I didn’t like. If you need more flavor, add salsa picante. I could live off of sopa de menudencias; also add salsa picante if needed. (I might just enjoy sucking on chickens feet and spitting out the tiny bones?) Roadside picada, usually with morcilla, beef parts, hog parts – love it. And damn, Colombians know how to make just a simple serving of beans.
I lived a little while in Miami, and had the chance to sample authentic foods from all parts of Latin America and the Caribe, and typical Colombian food isn’t even in the same ballpark. I used to think if somebody set up a joint that sold Puerto Rican/Cuban carne, it would do well in Colombia. But after a few years in Colombia, I now think I was wrong. Colombians (again, generally speaking), just don’t like flavor, marinating, experimenting, or trying anything new. Again, ironic, considering who settled in Colombia and that Spain is arguably the most exciting and diverse place to eat.
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Oh man, you post is making me hungry.
I hope you have good time in Peru
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Carlito, thanks for correcting me, I’ve made the changes. You are a wealth of Colombian food trivia my man.
I agree the costeño restaurants have experimental, delicious plates. Specifically the sancochos and cazuelas.
Your comments have given me hope that Colombian cuisine can improve and become something worth bragging about. Let’s wait and see.
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well all i can say is if you want to lose weight get a Colombian wife because after a week you will not want to eat and sneak out of the house to find something decent to eat and if you actually get to run them out of the kitchen so you can COOK some food like beans chicken fried steak and such for some guest then get ready to fight because they want everything the way that they know
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Peruvian food is overrated
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JL you say that about chile just because you are peruvian , when are you peruvians going to get over it? Your food is overrated a unhealthy on top of that you say chileans stole pisco how about you guys stealing from the chinese(chifa) and the japanese(nikkei) and calling these your own
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Chifa didn’t make this list because (A) I don’t consider it Peruvian and (B) I don’t really dig Chinese food.
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I agree peruvian food is good, but ive never seen a peruvian who cooks good food at home unless he is a chef, on contrary colombians cook very good home made meals and also if you ask any colombian PAISA food is the worse in Colombia thats why everything from medellin gives colombians a bad name except the girls if you know what i mean. Also IMO the best colombian food is in the coast and in tolima they make damn good food.. Oh almost forgot americans love fried food thats why every colombian restaurant and bakery i go to is always full with americans , i mean id rather eat colombian food than KFC, TGI etc.. just saying lol.
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You’re killing me! All I’ve eaten today is a bowl of cereal, haha
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Well I don’t know what Daniel is talking about, that Peruvians don’t cook well at home unless a chef. The article likely is referring to small restaurants that have cooks or owners that cook not chefs. Believe me most Peruvian women and men know how to cook well if not excellent at home too. I’m lucky I get to eat all these dishes at home here in the states as mom is an excellent cook and everyone in the family even young nephews love to cook.
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Nice article, it sure took me back. I think the yellow sauce you are refering with the arroz con pollo, is basicaly the huancaina sauce. Huancaina sauce has yellow pepper, queso blanco, little oil and a few drops of lemon; all blended to a creamy sauce.
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Peruvian food is truly overrated in my opinion, most of their dishes are copies of other cuisines (Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese) and they really overindulge in sauces that taste the same just different colors. Ana so almost everyone in Peru is a cook because that is what the word “most” implies don’t you think that you are over emphasizing this issue. They include Japanese(nikkei) and Chinese (chifa) cuisines as their own which to me is a travesty give me the originals any day and keep your copies.
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What a fucking ignorant who wrote this article!!! It seems that you fucking retarded have something against colombian people, Im from Venezuela and Colombian people are so elegant, intelectual and their food is delicious and healthy, and not only that but WE Colombians and Venezuelans are the best in Latinamerica, everybody is beautiful, we have a beautiful race, men and women, everybody feel envy of us….I can bet that you are a fucking peruvian indian with envy of this wonderful country. SHAME ON YOU!
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This article is completely against Colombia, it does not seem that you want to highlight peruvian food …just talking bad about Colombians….You would dreaaaam having some colombian blood LMFAOOO!
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No sólo la comida si no Bogotá, Medellin y Cali son con caca, total rechazo con los Colombianos son un asco negros ignorantes incapces de superar su guerra interna por eso el mundo los repudia…
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When you talk with such lack of respect for “paisas” you just make your brain smaller. Appart from that what do you mean with :” She was from Medellin, so she grew up … in the worst country (Colombia)”. Are you talking about food or about countries differences?. When I read this article, I just knew it was from another gringo with lack of education even though you studied “International business”… did you graduate or did you fake your Bachelor diplom?
Surprisingly, you went out of the states to learn a bit more about the world… how is it going out of the states? did you realize that the people really hate the gringos? not only there, also in Europe. I can tell 🙂
Peruvian food is great, I won’t discuss that. You should consider yourself as one of the few lucky gringos who finally ate good food and not McDonalds’s TRASH.
p.s It’s not APCM, it’s ACPM. Inform yourself with better sources
p.s: You are american. You are the less liable person I would trust in regarding food.
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Gonzalo – “worst country (Colombia)” I meant in regards to food.
I agree McDonald’s is trash, but then why are there McDonald’s everywhere in the world and Colombian restaurants nowhere?
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Hi, I just wanted to say I am enjoying your blog. I am Thinking about moving to either Cuenca Ecuador or Arequipa.
I can see how Ivonne is a little pissed when you have that bend over pic. But If Ivonne is not Colombian why the rage?
Anyway like I care.
I must say the Peruvian food looks really good. i don’t care what anyone says I agree that Colombian soups are nothing to get excited about. The people of Medellin however are some of the nicest I have met anywhere. The nightclub Mango’s was a trip with the midgets and this really goofy guy dressed as a hormonally challenged cowboy. Some (not all) of the women in there were quite attractive.
I look forward to reading the rest of your blog, so far I’m only at 2 pages.
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Hey Gonzalo,
I agree McDonalds is trash. I had fast food about 11 or 12 years ago and had diarrhea for 4 days. I don’t know what they put in that crap but it’s not food.
Question please: You made a comment of “did you realize that the people really hate the gringos?”
I would like to know why you would say that?
you may be irritated with the comments of one man but the comments of one do not reflect all.
When In Colombia I did not feel that there was tension towards me at all.
I would be interested if you would elaborate on your comment.
Thanks, Patrick
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The yellow cream U couldnt explain in the Arroz con Pato, is not other than “Papa a la huancaína” cream (Potatoes to huancayo style cream or something like that.) That crean is coommonly used also in ceviche because it match perfectly with the flavour. Based on milk, cheese, oil, crackers, onion, and mirasol ají, you can mix all in the mixer till get the consistence and flavour.. if is quite spicy,add more milk anbd cracler..if ismissing just addmore ají-
Enjoy.
Greate article..funny indeed 🙂
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Nice article. Peru also has Latin America’s largest food festival. The travel company Explorations has a tour to Peru this September that includes a day at Mistura 2012. http://www.adventuresofdiscovery.com/peru-mistura.html
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I went to Cartagena and Santa Marta (Colombia) and the food in Cartagena is very bad but in Santa Marta i ate “bandeja Paisa” and is a good dishe, the peruvian food i think is the best of latin america and the first in the world, Chifa is not chinese food is a fusion Peruvian- Chinese and Nikkei is fusion japanese – Peruvian is very good, the mexican food is good too, but i think the the food of chile is RUBBISH, the argentina is good
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Well, I’m from Colombia, and I agree about the food being so bad, but that is just the city itself, I’m from Barranquilla living in Bogota, and let me tell you, the food in Bogotá is so simple without any taste at all, but in my hometown the food is just in another level, i mean there a lot of restaurants in Barranquilla with excellent food. Even non colombian food, for example chineese is so different in Barranquilla, that i’ve to travel at least 1 time per month in order to get some nice food. The sancocho de costilla and sancocho de mondongo are excellent soups but they have to be made by costeños.
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Que tristeza leer un articulo sobre la deliciosa comoda peruana, menoscabando la comida colombiana,
quien necesita vilupendiar a los demas para hacerse notar tiene muy poco que aportar.
En cada lugar del mundo existen deliciosa comidas, para gustoslos colores.
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some people are saying thatwe copied from japanese,italian,etc thats not tru the immigrants came to peru and created a fusion with peruvian cuisine and the herbs and what not… it became part of peruvian culture that isnt STEALING!!
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I’m sorry but whoever wrote is a MORON!
I am Colombian living outside my country, and have travelled a lot through Europe and Latin America, and let me tell you that you are absolutely wrong. My boyfriend is Polish-American and HE LOVES my food. We love Polish and Czech food as well. I have never been to Peru, and have nothing against that country. But what bothers me the most is that you have to talk badly about other countries/cultures, to highlight what you are deffending. If you are a blogger, or whatever you are, don’t you think you should be a little bit neutral?
Because if we are going to talk about the “worst” food, then welcome to US. I don’t like generalizing, but your article is rude, stupid and you lack from sense. I don’t know where and what you ate while you were in my country, and I don’t care. But it seems that you have never been to Crepes & Waffles, or other national chains of food that offer a large variety of meals. Even the arepas, something so simple, that Peru does not have, and you can do so many things with it. I like stuffed with meat and mushrooms. Also, another interesting thing for me and my boyfriend, is that when we were in Spain, we were not impressed by their food. Which is supposed to be one of the best ones in the world. All what I saw was deep-fried, salty, and with zero fruits and vegetables. While in Colombia we ALWAYS have salads in our meals, and drink smoothies with natural fruit. But I am not going to generalize, like you, about Spanish food, because maybe we just had a bad luck. It would be just stupid.
Most of the people that have travelled to my country have liked the food very much, and LOVE the coffee. What a pity that you couldn’t afford to go to a nice/decent restaurant, for example, in La Macarena in Bogotá, which is a well-known place in the city to hang out.
Also, if you are going to talk about beer. Then you need to go to Belgium or Germany. The day that Peruvian beer becomes popular world-wide, then I will start believing you! 😉
My advise: You need to travel more! Have a nice day. And sorry for my English.
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@ Laura – Your English is not bad at all! If you want to see a positive article on Colombian food, see my favorite Colombian food.
While Crepes and Waffles is a Colombian business, they don’t serve traditional Colombian food (as is evident in the title). That’s a big reason why that restaurant and the others that serve non-Colombian fare do so well. FYI – Complaining about the food is a common past time among the expats in Colombia. We all make fun of it behind your backs.
The 1st step in DABDA problem resolution is Denial. The next are Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. The sooner you and your countrymen arrive at the Acceptance phase, the sooner Colombian food may start to improve.
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I’ve never had Peruvian food but i’ve eaten Colombian food in the US in Houston, I’ve had it in Bogota, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and San Andres. There are some foods I like and dislike, I don’t think Colombian food is bad, it’s different and definitely little bit more bland than say food from Mexico or some of the other Latin American countries but not in a bad way.
I like Ajiaco and it’s prepared differently in some places, the broth has a lot of flavor, the chicken is very flavorful too, the cream, corn and capers, it tastes better in Bogota on a cold day and sometimes add rice.
Sancocho is pretty good though not a big fan of eating stomach lining
Bandeja paisa is really good as well, the flank steak has a lot of flavor, the Chorizo is good.
Also had a chance to eat a lot of coconut rice and Rondon in San Andres, red fish, and different sea food that was really fresh as well as in Cartagena.
Arepas I have a difficult time eating because there’s not a lot of flavor, but my wifes grandma made them with eggs inside and they were really good.
Empanadas, never get tired of those and the different varieties.
I’ve been to a couple of steak houses that serve chunks of steak, chicken and pork that are really delicious
Some of the deserts are good, I like Obleas and of course the fruit drinks are great.
There are some things I do agree are difficult to stomach like fried intestines, i can’t really eat Costeno cheese, very strong flavor and the idea of eating cheese with coffee or ice cream doesn’t sound appetizing.
I think it depends on your tastes overall, i’ve had really delicious food in Colombia and really bad food, case in example, I don’t understand all the American style knockoffs like burger joints and had this hot dog with mayo, some pink sauce, mustard, 4 duck eggs and potato chips. That’s not to say Colombian food is bad, every country has it’s good food and bad food.
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jajajaj, kill me with laughter, well, it will be up to Peru to give you hard. It seems strange that much difference in foods, as these two countries were based equally to indigenous cultures, then have been Spanish, English, French, all alike. What I do notice is the strong influence of banana and coconut, from Ecuador to the north … but not in Mexico. Using these two fruits in their culinary, makes a difference to Peru. For Chile, the land is given over to the production of fruits, but artificially, intensive agriculture, although very successful. Therefore, the difference in the food may be due to this factor. It is true that Peru has a wide variety of fruits, for the eastern Amazon of its territory, but in this country, tropical leaves to her backdoor while in Colombia, Ecuador and the Caribbean is in front, that could mean a difference in the orientation of their food
If you go to the Peruvian jungle, meals resemble something Caribbean, although the presence of the settlers and the coastal mountains, the finest made.
I have not been to Africa but I bet that’s how the Caribbean
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those are all my favorite foods !!!!! Great article and u should definitely try “sopa de lisas”
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I was born and raised in Lima, Peru so my palate enjoys Peruvian food the most ( especially if it is cooked by my mother and in Peru). But, I have to say that this article is biased and a mean to the Colombian cuisine. Just because some of us prefer some dishes over others does not make it the best in Latin American as the title asserts. Yes, it is true Peruvian cuisine is very rich and diverse when compared to other countries; and that many people who try Peruvian food are amazed with it. Nonetheless, Peruvian food is not for everyone. Some people simple prefer junk and thats fine. No judgement.
I have to add that I enjoyed reading your article. And don’t understand why people get upset to the point of insulting you. Well peace, Im about to devour some ceviche with calamari.
“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace” D.L.
—-
Marge
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Perdon pero no es verdad según encuestas a nivel mundial sobreasale mexico, Francia , japon, Italia y china, mira para acabar la pura comida yucateca en mexico ,(papadzules, relleno negro, cochinita pibil, codzitos etc ) es mucho mas variada que la peruana
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Did Anybody notice the rice and the potatoes? That food is full of starch, is not healthy eat a lot of carbohydrates, and don’t even mention the raw fish that give you stomach cancer.
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Soy Mexicano y creo que el autor de esta pagina se lo cogio un Colombiano por eso esta ardido viva Colombia y mis respetos para la comida de cada pais.
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Dude, so much hate, once you lose your virginity things will get better for you……but then again there is a reason you are still a virgin
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Collin
I am a very proud Colombian woman living in the US for many years and I respect your opinion as they are for you to have.
Regardless of your impressions about our cuisine I ask that you be respectful of our cultural differences and of our people.Your logo is offensive and unnecessary to get your point across. I would like to invite you to show class in your comments and respect those cultures that are different from yours.
Thanks
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@ Calena – you’ve just convinced me. Done.
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@ Esteban
Just for the record nikkei means Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that decide in a foreign country. Comida nikkei is not limited to Peru and Peru is using the word correctly. They are not taking it as their own. The word nikkei explains all this, but I can break it down for you. Nikkei is “Japanese” food made by Peruvian-Japanese people. Which is why Peruvian nikkei has some Peruvian cuisine influences. Don’t use this a sort of plagiarism. Nikkei is present in various countries, mostly in Brazil and some im Peru. Now for “chifa” is the cantonese word earing, while “chaufa” is mandarin word for eating too (spelled differently of course but when you sound it out its similar). Peru is home to many chinese-Peruvians and most of them speak Cantonese. Many people believe chifa and chaufa are the same thing because it means Peruvian Chinese food; but depending from what part of China the cook is descended (North or Southern China) from makes a difference in the taste. Peruvian cusines is very diverse which is why it is a favorite to anyone who tastes it. Also, caldo de pollo or gallina is chicken soup. We have chicken soup here in America but it doesn’t taste like Peruvian “chicken soup”. Just an fyi.
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Reside* bear with me I’m using a smart phone, and we all know auto correct makes things even worse.
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I am from Peru and I like to eat food from different countries. For me the gastronomy of China, France, Italy, India, Peruvian and Mediterranean are the best of the world.
I do not like Japanese, Mexican, Colombian, Cuban, American food to mention some. Every country has some good main dishes but others have “hundreds”of good main dishes like Peru has it.
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I always like to try different plates, restaurants. .it’s fun…but the Peruvian food is amazing. .lomo saltado my favorite
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Now I am getting hungry
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Although I’m Peruvian I do feel like this article spoke down about Colombia, there food is similar to Venezuelan and Panamanian food and yes it is simple although I’m not taking anything away from it. I still do enjoy it. But Peru food is the most diverse specially because there was jap/ Chinese/ Italian influence over the years Peruvians made it there own as the originators mixed in with the indigenous. Peruvian Chifa and jap or Chinese food are two different flavors. Unfortunately they don’t taste the same and it’s not because of the various sauces we have (which have different ingredients no sauce taste the same) it’s because of the spices each country can provide. Peruvian food is so good but so calorie packed
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Peruvian food is disgusting!! I’m Colombian & I’m married to a Peruvian girl. I have visited Lima Peru & tried to like peruvian food for 10 years, but i just find it to be really disgusting. I just dont like it in any way. I’m Colombian & I love Latin Caribean food. My wife’s Peruvian family has the same reaction to not liking Colombian, cuban or puerto rican food because the food is mostly fried, heavy spices, greasy ect…
We can all agree that we come from different backgrounds & the flavor combinations dont get the thumbs up from everyone. I really DONT LIKE PEUVIAN FOOD AT ALL & MY PERUVIAN WIFE DOESNT LIKE MY CARIBBEAN FOOD. I think 80% of Peruvian food is disgusting with really weird flavor combinations & Latin Caribbean food is not popular with the Peruvian side of the family.
GO FIGURE 😉
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Peruvian food is the best of Latin America, yes indeed and it is one of the best in the world, by far better than other food and most of the people with good taste or not chauvinist can recognize it.
Examples: 2 Peruvian restaurants top 10 in the world. Best chef of the world Virgilio Martinez 2017 and award winner best Gastronomy Destination 5 years in a row in the Travel awards.
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