Gastronomy in Peru

Peruvian cuisine can be considered as one of the world's greatest cuisines. It is a mix of Spanish food and Amerindian with strong influences from Italian, African, Chinese, Japanese and Arab cooking. It also emphasized the combination of ingredients and colors specifically in the dynamic developing restaurant industry

Lima, the capital city of Peru, is considered the “Gastronomic Capital of the Americas”. The famous dishes that Lima is known for are as follows: Arroz con pollo (combined chicken with rich-flavored rice); Chupe de pescado (also known as fish cioppino); Papa rellena (mashed potatoes stuffed with eggs, ground meat, olives and several spices and then deep fried); Lima butter bean (pallares) salad (consist of Peruvian Lima butter beans, boiled and combined with slices of tomatoes, green ají, and "salsa" of onions, marinated in green Peruvian lime juice, salt, oil and vinegar); and Escabeche criollo (pickled fish or it can be duck or chicken, then onion and vinegar in preparation then combined with other spices and chili).

The popular beverages are Chicha Morada (sugar, chunks of pineapple and ice); Inca Kola (the brand of a famous fizzy soda drink that is refreshing and sweet); Pisco (a variety of brandy, distilled beverage produced from grapes and considered as the national drink of Peru. It is mixed with white egg, lemon juice and sugar); and Chicha or Chicha de Jora (based on different kinds of fermented maize and aromatic herbs).

Sweet dishes and desserts are Alfajores (combined flour, margarine, lemon rind and powdered sugar then baked. It contains of more than two layers of baked pastry, commonly filled with molasses or manjar blanco); Turrones (or nougat, it is usually made from almonds); Tejas (candy made with manjar blanco and coated with chocolate or candy shell); and Helados (common mixture of ice cream flavors but others use exotic flavors such as guaraná, tuna and camu camu).