Street food in Peru has always been a popular stable of Peruvian culture and is now booming more than ever. You can find all manner of food trucks, street carts and vendors during different times of the day. In the morning, you will find street carts selling breakfast type foods that includes bread with cheese, omelets or fried eggs, or even the famous emoliente, a kind of an herbal tea popular with young and old, poor and rich especially in the cold winter months. In the evenings, you will find another set of street carts offering other options including the ones we highlight below.
Butifarra: Traditional Sandwiches
It is very common to find sandwich vendors on the streets of Lima. They sell different types of sandwiches including hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and the famous butifarra. This is basically a pork sandwich served with onions and more hot sauce. A great food to end a night of partying.
Tamales: The Peruvian Version
Tamales are made all over the world and in a variety of was. Peruvian tamales are made with Peruvian white or yellow corn and consist of a corn meal dough filled with meat, usually chicken or pork, boiled eggs, olives, nuts, and aji (chili pepper) topped with red onion. They later steam it and wrap it in a banana leaf. A hefty snack for people on the go which is why it is usually eaten for breakfast but can make a tasty midnight snack.
Anticuchos: Traditional Peruvian street food
As the sun begins to set and dusk approaches, the first thing you will notice on the streets of Peru are little carts being set up on virtually every corner. One popular sign you will see is for Anticuchos. What is Anticuchos? Well, this is quite literally meat on a stick served. This “meat” usually consists of pieces of grilled beef heart that are served with boiled potato on the end of a skewer and aji, or hot sauce. If you can’t stomach the idea of beef heart, you can also get chicken, regular beef or even hot dog anticuchos, but you should always try everything at least once.
Rachi: A bit more on the Strange End
One the same street cart that has Anticuchos, you will most likely see Rachi. Rachi is a traditional Peruvian food served in the Andes and popular throughout Peru. It is essentially made from cow’s belly and can be quite chewy, not for the squeamish but quite tasty all the same.
Arroz con Leche y Mazamorra Morada
To top it all off we have a traditional Peruvian dessert, arroz con Leche is the Peruvian version of rice pudding. It is a simple dessert made with rice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Mazamorra is like a porridge and it is made from concentrate of purple corn starch. This delicious concoction is spiced with cinnamon and cloves and mixed with diced apples and apricots. It’s one of the most well-known and popular street foods you’ll find in Peru.
So, there you have it, 5 of the best Peruvian Street Foods you can find. If you want to know anything more about Peru, Cusco and Machu Picchu Travel, check out the rest of our blog posts at Peru Travel Blog and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our special packages.
