Peruvian cuisine

Peruvian cuisine is the set of dishes, drinks and culinary techniques of Peru, built on Andean heritage and blended with European, African and Asian traditions. Its great variety, its reliance on native ingredients and its international reputation place it among the most celebrated cuisines in the world.

History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the central Andes were one of the great centres of plant domestication. Potatoes, maize, quinoa, kiwicha, oca and the aji pepper, known as uchu in Quechua, formed the basis of the diet. Techniques such as charqui and chuño made it possible to preserve food across landscapes with very different microclimates, and the Inca Empire brought many cultures together, each with its own culinary customs.

After the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century, wheat, rice, garlic, onions and meats such as beef, pork and chicken were added, along with fruits and spices from Europe. During the viceregal period, cooking followed Spanish models and set aside native ingredients, which were long regarded as peasant food. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, African, Chinese, Japanese and Italian migrants arrived and helped shape dishes such as tacu tacu and lomo saltado.

Culture

Today Peruvian cuisine is part of everyday life and national identity. Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of the Americas, and its international food fair, Mistura, is the most important food festival in Latin America. Peruvian restaurants hold prominent places on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, and UNESCO recognised ceviche in 2023. Signature dishes include papa a la huancaína, causa limeña and ceviche, while in the highlands pachamancas are prepared and on the coast soups and stews of fish and shellfish are common. The country has more than five thousand varieties of potato, which reflects the diversity of its cooking.

Trivia