Alex Sexton explores the cuisine of Peru and highlights seven delicious Peruvian dishes before giving his recommendations on the best places to try them in Lima.
Situated along the arid desert coast of Peru, Lima has developed into the top culinary hub for South America, hosting three restaurants in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list. Let us just say that travellers to Lima should bring loose fitting trousers and large appetites.
The Limeños (people from Lima) love to eat well and they don’t hide it, as the restaurants of Lima are always packed with families devouring all the delicious culinary delights that Peru has to offer. If you are going to travel through Lima and don’t know what to eat, Alex Sexton clues us up on seven Peruvian dishes you must try while visiting.
1. WHERE TO EAT CEVICHE
Ceviche is the most popular dish to come out of Peru and it’s still a favourite among the locals. Typically enjoyed during lunch, it is a refreshing dish for those hot Peruvian summers.
Ceviche or cebiche is made up of seafood cooked in a lime based sauce known as leche de tigre or tiger’s milk. The fish is prepared by chopping it roughly and letting it cook in the citric acid of the leche de tigre sauce. Along with the fish, the dish is topped with an onion salsa, boiled choclo corn and sweet potato. Ceviche is light, bright and a very refreshing dish that can be found throughout the city. It’s best enjoyed while sipping on some pisco or a local lager.
Find it:
Head to El Muelle Cebicheria in the beautiful neighbourhood of Barranco. This local spot is always crowded with families, so expect to wait. If you are with a group, I suggest ordering one of their large ceviches as it is enough to feed a small army.
Address: El Muelle Jr. Alfonso Ugarte 206, Lima 15063, Peru
2. WHERE TO TRY TIRADITOS
Continuing down the path of the ceviche family, you will find tiradito. According to urban legend, tiradito was invented by the local fishermen. They would clean their morning catch before cutting it into thin slices and tossing it all onto the hot coastal rocks to lightly sear them. Once seared, they would add a squeeze of lime juice eat them right off the rocks.
What separates tiraditos from ceviche is the thin cut. Tiraditos is cut sashimi style in the Japanese tradition. (In Peru it is very common to find Japanese-Peruvian fusion called Nikkei.) The fish is then covered in a lime based sauce to cook.
Find it:
This is a popular dish at both traditional and modern restaurants. Head to Hanzo in San Isidro for some fantastic Nikkei cuisine and of course — tiraditos.
Address: Hanzo, Av. Los Conquistadores 598, San Isidro 15073, Peru
3. WHERE TO TRY CONCHAS A LA PARMESANA
Conchas a la Parmesana is one of the best simple snacks to enjoy with a beer. It is simply scallops on the half-shell with melted Parmesan on top and a little olive oil. This dish is just another example of the wonderful ingredients the Peruvians pull from the Pacific Ocean.
Find it:
Head over to Punto Azul in Miraflores for some fantastic concha a la parmesana as well as other traditional Peruvian treats. This is a very popular stop for both locals and tourists alike. Don’t let the wait discourage you because in the end, it is well worth it.
Address: Punto Azul, Calle San Martin 595, Miraflores 15074, Perú
4. WHERE TO TASTE CAUSA
Credit: Peter Burka / Flickr (CC)
Causas are little Peruvian stacks of heaven that any traveller serious about eating in Peru needs to try. Peru is the potato capital of the world and this dish shows how they are the masters of preparing them as well.
Traditionally causas are prepared by layering chilled mashed potatoes with layers of avocado and shredded chicken. However, today they can come filled with many different ingredients including shrimp, white fish, octopus and crab. No matter what you order it will always be a stack of fluffy potatoes, avocado and a tasty filling.
Find it:
Lunch time on the weekend is the best time to enjoy these Peruvian towers and make sure you get a pisco sour to wash it all down. Stop in at Canta Rana in Barranco to try these delicious stacks of joy!
Address: Canta Rana, Genova 101, Barranco 15063, Perú
5. WHERE TO EAT ANTICUCHOS
Anticuchos is the must try dish on this list when coming to Lima. It is their ultimate street food that has a long history in Peru. Anticuchos are beef hearts that are grilled with different spices on a hot grill off the flame.
Don’t let the beef heart scare you off; you would have no idea that this savoury meat was heart if I didn’t tell you. Just order three to six sticks of Anticuchos, dip them in their spicy yellow pepper sauce, and enjoy.
Find it:
Anticuchos can be found throughout the city but head for Anticuchos Grimanesa. This was once a street stand but it got so popular that the owner was forced by the city to open up her own place due to the congestion on the streets. A place that busy must mean it’s pretty good right?
Address: Anticuchos Grimanesa, Calle Ignacio Merino 466, Miraflores 15074, Perú
6. WHERE TO TRY LOMO SALTADO
Lomo Saltado simply put is the Peruvian version of a stir fry. A popular cuisine in Peru is chifa, the fusion of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine. As you wander the streets of Lima you will find chifa restaurants all over the city. One of the more popular dishes to come out of this is Lomo Saltado which can be found in local bodegas and chifa restaurants alike.
Lomo Saltado is simply beef cooked in spices, onions, peppers and the Peruvian saltado sauce. The stir fry is plated with fries and rice, and there you have it: lomo saltado! It is a fantastic cheap dish to fill you up.
Find it:
Head to Las Mesitas in the neighbourhood of Barranco for some fantastic Lomo Saltado. This is an old school restaurant that will have all the Peruvian greats when it comes to food.
Address: Las Mesitas, Av. Almte. Miguel Grau 341, Lima 15063, Perú
7. WHERE TO EAT PICARONES
Credit: G M / Flickr (CC)
Let us finish off this list with a tasty doughy dessert. Picarones is the Peruvian doughnut. They are delicious little rings of fried dough made from wheat flour and pumpkin, then topped with a sugar cane syrup called chancaca. Picarones can be found everywhere, both in restaurants and on the streets.
Find it:
One of the best times to go and enjoy these treats is at the weekend evening street market in the centre of Barranco. If you happen to miss it though, head to El Tìo Mario. This place is also famous for anticuchos so order up some more of that delicious beef heart and finish the night off with Picarones.
Address: Anticucheria El Tio Mario, Paseo Chabuca Granda, Distrito de Lima 15063, Perú
It is difficult to sum up this gastronomic brilliance of Peru and Lima in just seven dishes but this list is a great start for your culinary adventure. For any traveller who travels for food, Lima is the city for you. Tag us in your best Peruvian foodie photos on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and we’ll re-post our favourites.
Originally published at www.travioor.com.
