Top 5 Peruvian Dishes You Have to Try
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on February 29, 2024 by James Bustamante
Coming up with the top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to try is actually rather difficult. There are just so many amazing dishes you really need to try when in Peru.
So in between your visit to Lima and your Machu Picchu hike take some time out to enjoy some or all of these delicacies.
Peruvian Cuisine has been increasingly gaining popularity all over the world.
Following a trend that was started by the famous Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio, Peruvian food is taking the world by storm.
We can talk about many different kinds of foods, but these are the top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to eat when you visit.
The Delicious Lomo Saltado
The first in our list of top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to try would be the Lomo Saltado.
The Peruvian Lomo Saltado has a heavy influence on Asian cuisine. This is due to the heavy immigration that came from China as well as other Asian countries several years ago.
This hearty stir-fry dish is a blend of beef, sliced tomatoes, peppers, and onions in a pan with soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
Several Peruvian chefs have tweaked the recipe to give it a more personal touch. For example, some have added yellow hot peppers in for a spicier variation.
This delicious savory dish is usually served over plain white rice. We say “plain white rice” but in Peru it’s never quite that simple, even the white rice is usually prepared with spices.
This is most definitely not a dish for the carb-phobic or calorie counters. It may sound simple, but to get the flavors just right takes a certain level of skill you can only accomplish with plenty of practice.
Be sure to check out these varieties in many of Lima’s restaurants or our How to Make Peruvian Lomo Saltado recipe.
The Peruvian Ceviche
The next yummy concoction on this top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to try is the Ceviche.
If Peru had an official national dish it would be the ceviche. The Peruvian coast is vast and provides one of the largest varieties of seafood in the entire world.
This definitely helps in the production of ceviche.
Throughout the Peruvian coast and even the Amazon and the highlands, you’ll find a ceviche. I
t’s not just made with fish either, you will find octopus, squid, crab, shrimp, mussels, and even river prawn ceviche.
Peruvian chefs use lime juice to “cook” the fish sort of speak. Using limes to prepare the fish gives it a delicate flavor and slightly chewy consistency.
The dish is usually spiced with red onion and Aji Limo (a type of Peruvian hot pepper), and served with sweet potato or choclo, white Andean corn.
There are variations that use fried banana chips instead, this is usually done in the northern parts of Peru.
As with many Peruvian dishes, you will find many variations throughout the country.
Ceviche also gives way to yet another Peruvian dish, Leche de Tigre, which is the marinade of the ceviche juices mixed with more fish and hot peppers. A true delicacy.
If you want to learn a great recipe check out our Peruvian ceviche recipe and become an expert.
The Savory Anticucho
Anticuchos are the next delicious meal on our top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to try.
These taste skewers of grilled, marinated meat (much like shish kebabs) are served everywhere and anywhere in Peru.
High-end restaurants offer them as appetizers while street-cart vendors sell them slathered in a garlicky sauce.
Anticuchos are good no matter where you decide to eat them.
While almost any meat can be prepared this way, the most traditional—and best—anticuchos are made with beef hearts!
This practice is believed to trace back to the days when Peru’s Spanish conquistadors would consume the cow’s best cuts and leave the organs for their slaves.
Little did they know how tasty these scraps are or how popular this dish would become.
Nowadays you can’t go to an old fashioned neighborhood in Lima and not find a street cart with anticuchos.
This dish is usually accompanied by sliced potatoes that are either boiled or grilled and of course plenty of “Aji” to go along with the dish.
Anticuchos are all protein (not counting the potatoes) so they are among the healthiest street foods you could possibly eat in Peru.
Cuy or Guinea Pig
Ok so now we can get into some of the more taboo (for some) dishes on the top 5 Peruvian dishes you have to try.
There is no easy way to put this, its guinea pig.
Yes, I know the implications. Everyone had one or knew someone that had one as a child at some point. In Lima, it is considered a rare delicacy.
Not so much elsewhere as it is eaten around many regions in the highlands.
Consider that these guinea pigs or “Cuy” are not the same pets your parents bought at PetSmart all those years ago.
In the highlands, they actually have guinea pig farms where these little critters have been raised as a food source for several hundred years.
These little animals have more freedom than your average cow, to be honest.
One indication of how important the dish is to the rural Peruvian diet: In a cathedral in Cusco hangs a replica of Da Vinci’s Last Supper, in which Christ and the 12 disciples are seated around a platter of cuy.
When it comes to “Cuy” meat, which is quite bony, it can be usually baked or barbecued on a spit and served whole—often with the head-on.
Cuy can also be pan-fried to give it a crispy exterior unlike anything else. It has a pleasant taste similar to a rabbit or wildfowl.
This dish is usually served with a side of sliced, crips potatoes, and an onion salad.
This of course will be accompanied by plenty of hot sauces to try. A must-eat for the whole family.
This is definitely something you can try while in Cusco so while you are traveling to Machu Picchu see if you are brave enough to give this dish a go. This tasty dish will not let you down.
Lucuma Fruit
We can’t end a list of top 5 food Peruvian dishes you have to try without talking about dessert. Peruvians also have quite a sweet tooth.
So much so that at one point the Coca Cola company made its formula sweeter for the Peruvian market.
This is also evidenced by the popularity of Inca Kola, a very sweet bubble gum-flavored soda.
Lucuma is a tree fruit that sort of looks like a mango from a distance, but it has a custardy taste almost like maple syrup.
The consistency can be a bit grainy for some though. Lucuma is rather dry so it is usually used as a flavoring in desserts, and is justifiably popular as a variety of ice cream.
The flavor can’t really be compared to any other fruit to be quite honest.
We recommend trying lucuma for the first time plain, just a slice or nibble so you can get the flavors of the fruit.
Afterward, you should go straight for the Lucuma ice-cream or the “Crocante de Lucuma”, a chocolate-infused calorie-filled dessert, stuffed with deliciousness.
If you would like to try any of these dishes during your Peru itinerary let us know and we’ll gladly include a culinary tour.
This allows you to taste some of the most delicious dishes in this country as you travel on your Peru tour package.
Frequently Asked Questions About Peruvian Dishes
Are Peruvian Dishes Spicy?
Peruvian dishes are not all spicy but Peruvian food is usually accompanied by some type of hot sauce.
Is Guinea pig really eaten in Peru?
Yes guinea pig or “Cuy” is eaten throughout the Andes, not just in Peru.
Is lomo Saltado healthy?
The dish in itself is mostly protein, the sides on the other hand are not as healthy as you would probably like.
How is guinean pig prepared?
Guinea pig is usually prepare rotisserie style on a spit or pan friend. The dish is accompanied by potatoes and baked lima beans. There is a spicy onion salad that goes along with the dish as well as hot sauce.
Is guinea pig healthy safe to eat?Guinea pig or guy is actually quite a healthy meat. It is high in protein and boast healthy fats. Try asking for it grilled or on a spit instead of pan friend to avoid unnecessary fats.
Are anticuchos made of beaf hearts?
Yes. Anticuchos are a skewered dish made of beef hearts marinated in a garlic and hot pepper sauce.
