Lima Food and Drink

In 2004, an article appeared in The Economist: “Peru can lay claim to one of the world’s dozen or so great cuisines.” As the news spread of the discovery of one of the world’s best kept secrets, the excitement began to build. In 2006, at the Madrid Fusion Fourth International Summit of Gastronomy, one of the field’s most important conferences, top chefs, critics, and journalists were blown away by the assortment and quality of Peruvian culinary offerings. Accordingly, the city of Lima, where many of the nation’s 400+ national and regional dishes can be found in inexpensive local eateries and upmarket restaurants alike, was declared the Gastronomic Capital of the Americas.

Lima is a great place to experience the wonderful variety of Peruvian cuisine, which utilizes a huge array of ingredients from the country’s coastal, mountain, and Amazon regions. Due to the richness and quality of seafood from the ocean off of Peru’s coast, fish and seafood restaurants are the best bet for a meal that is at the same time delicious, authentic, and cheap. Find below descriptions and translations of some of the most common traditional and fusion dishes found across Lima today, from the most basic cafés to the finest restaurants.

Here are some of the much loved Peruvian dishes you are bound to come across during your stay in Lima.

Savory

Aji de Gallina: Chicken in a creamy yellow chilli sauce served with steamed white rice; ranging from mild to spicy.
Anticuchos: Grilled cow heart marinated in vinegar and served roasted on skewers. Found in both restaurants and on the street at sidewalk grills.
Arroz con Mariscos: (Rice with Seafood) A delicious stir-fry of various seafoods topped over aromatic, turmeric flavored rice; an excellent alternative for those who have exhausted the nearly endless Limeño combinations of seafood, raw onion, and citrus.
Choritos a la Chalaca:Fresh mussels steamed and served whole in one half of the shell. These halves are then drenched with lemon juice and topped high with finely minced red onion, fresh cilantro and chilli - a delicious entrée that is highly recommended!
Cau-cau: An afro-Peruvian dish of tripe (inner lining of cow stomach) seasoned with aji amarillo (yellow chilli), turmeric, onion, and cloves. It is then mixed with chopped potato and served with white rice. This dish was born of necessity, when poor workers were faced with the task of making a tasty dish from the leftovers they were given.
Causa: Layers of lightly spiced mashed potato with a touch of lemon, and creamy chicken, avocado, or seafood filling; usually garnished with dark olives, egg, or lettuce. With literally dozens of variations available, this is one of the most imaginative potato-based dishes you will find in Peru.
Ceviche:  No visit to Lima is complete without sampling the city’s famous ceviche, ordered as a main course or starter. It consists of raw fish marinated in lime juice, which in the process pickles the fish, “cooking” it without heat. Though this national dish can now be found in many other Latin American countries, the (original) Peruvian ceviche is served with cold boiled sweet potato, corn on the cob, and marinated red onion. Most common types of fish used include corvina (sea bass), lenguado (sole), trucha (trout), and bonito (sea fish similar to tuna).
Leche de Tigre (Tiger´s Milk): The juice left over after a portion of ceviche is marinated and served. Slightly spicy and very flavorful, this can be ordered to add additional flavor to your dish or even to drink!
Chicharrones: Fried pork, sliced and served in a sandwich with red onion and chilli sauce.
Chicharron de pescado/calamar/mariscos/pollo: Deep fried fish seafood, shellfish, shrimp, or chicken.
Pollo a la Brasa - a rotisserie-style chicken served with french fries and salad. Found all over the city in specialized chicken restaurants.
Chifa: The Peruvian take on Chinese food. A very popular style of food found in all classes of restaurants and every part of Lima.
Lomo Saltado: originally a Chinese stir-fry adapted to suit Peruvian produce, this dish consists of strips of meat (most often beef as lomo) stir-fried with French fries, red pepper, onions, and tomatoes. This dish is always served Chinese-style with a side of boiled white rice.
Cuy: Guinea pig. A Peruvian delicacy often only eaten during special occasions, usually served roasted and whole - bones and head included. Best tried in Cuzco, Arequipa or Puno as a regional specialty.
Pachamanca: A dish typically baked underground with hot stones, but can also be made in a large stove top pot. Made with marinated lamb, mutton, pork, chicken or guinea pig, as well as potatoes, lima beans, sweet potato, and corn. Usually served in very large portions.
Tacu-Tacu: Another afro-Peruvian fusion dish, this is now a popular dish common in most creole restaurants. Originally a poor man’s dish, consisting of mashed beans, and boiled rice seasoned with paprika or chilli and then fried. Meat or fish can accompany to add some flavor to this rather bland, but very substantive, dish.
Yuca frita: Fried yucca (manioc). Tastes a bit like a potato, served resembling very thick- cut fries with a slightly crumblier texture.
Butifarra: A sandwich featuring roasted ham, marinated diced onion, and seasonings.

And here are a few common terms you will often see on Peruvian menus.

Arroz: rice
Tallarin: noodles
Chaufa: Chinese style fried rice
Chorizo: sausage
Pollo: chicken
Res/carne: beef
Conchita: scallop
Corvina: white sea bass
Lenguado: sole, flounder
Mariscos: seafood
Trucha: trout

Sweet

Alfajores: A popular pastry, consisting of two or more layers of a baked crunchy pastry - resembling a sugar cookie - filled with manjar blanco (caramel), and coated with powdered sugar.
Arroz con leche: Rice pudding, cooked with aromatic sticks of cinnamon and clove.
Helado: Ice cream
Mazamorra morada: A jelly-like dessert which takes on the color of one of its main ingredients—purple corn. Mazamorra morada is a dessert typical of Peru.
Picarones: Sweet, ring-shaped fritters made of pumpkin-based dough; served drenched in a fig molasses syrup.
Suspiro Limeño: A dessert made of condensed milk, almonds, manjar blanco (caramel), and topped with meringue. This classic criollo dessert is said to have been named by the famous Peruvian poet and author José Gálvez whose wife was famous for her cooking. When asked what inspired the name “Limeñan Sigh,” he reportedly replied, “Because it is soft and sweet like the sigh of a woman.” In this case, it would be a woman from Lima: a Limeña.
Inka Kola: This bubble-gum flavored soft drink is actually flavored with hierba luisa, a herb similar to chamomile and native to South America. A group of British immigrants are originally credited with creating this drink, inspired by a tea more commonly used to settle upset stomachs and minimize the side effects of altitude sickness. Inka Kola is the only national beverage in the world whose sales beat those of Coca-Cola.