Peruvian Food, Peru Food, Peruvian Cuisine

The Many Flavors of Peruvian Food

Peruvian food has achieved fame through culinary magazines and travel magazines. Their efforts have certainly paid off.

Peru has consistently placed at or near the top of major travel magazines for culinary destinations.

The Peruvians have perfected the preparation of many different kinds of foods including, but certainly not limited to all sorts of fishes and shellfish, duck, lamb, pork, hundreds of vegetables and many thick, rich sauces.

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Peruvian Cuisine | Specialty Foods | Lima - Cuisine Capital

Peruvian Food - Endless Variety
TravelingMan via Flickr CC

One of the reasons the original Inca Civilization of Peru was able to survive in the Pre-HIspanic times was attributed to their mastery of storing plenty of food in store houses.

Myth has it that they had enough food stored to feed their people for as many as seven years without a single soul going hungry.

From slating meat to dry in the brightest sun, to quickly freezing foods during the coldest of nights, the Incas were able to save everything they grew and it was certainly an art form.

Peruvian Cuisine

Very few things have changed since then. Peruvian food has quickly become a favorite of travelers from around the globe. People everywhere seem to love the Peruvian cuisine creations.

Fans of Peru food flock to Peruvian menus for the most tantalizing treats.

Peru foods include such things as corn (maize), chicken, seafood, guinea pig, plantains, several hundred varieties of potatoes, and many other vegetables.

On Peruvian Cuisine -

"Two of my favorite dishes of Peruvian food are ceviche and quinoa. Both use foods that are plentiful in Peru and have been for thousands of years part of their traditional cuisine.

"The most fabulous advantage of quinoa is that it is an easy to prepare protein and goes perfectly as a side dish.

"Ceviche is filled with the rich flavors of fish and shellfish marinated in a tangy citrus flavor."

Marcela H on Latin Cooking from Hispanic Culture Online.

Peruvian cuisine is famous for its soups and stews (like the savory pork adobo recipes) that are filled with vegetables and meat. They like to use many colorful and flavorful foods and herbs to create the broth for theser delectable soups.

Having easy access to the ocean, the original Peruvian tribes were able to make many dishes from fish, seafood, and even algae. There were also feasts made from specially prepared dolphin and sea lions.

The inhabitants of coastal Peru learned to use algae both fresh as a preservative and dried as a sweet herb. The blue alga was sweet enough to be dried, crushed and used like granulated sugar.

Carrots, corn and chili peppers were used in many of their favorite dishes. Yellow peppers were used to add color to their foods and for flavor.

Specialty Foods

Initially only the nobles were allowed to partake in meals containing alpacas. The common people were allowed to feast on Guinea pigs. According to the nobles the alpacas had to be at least three years old before they could be consumed, but since Guinea pigs multiplied so rapidly they were much more plentiful.

Guinea pigs are still served today, called Cuy, and they are prepared both fried and baked.

Only the Emperor and his closest family members were allowed fresh fish and wild duck. These dishes are all incorporated in current Peruvian cuisine. Peruvian cuisine is famous for the wonderful ways these foods are prepared.

Lima - Cuisine Capital of the Western Hemisphere

It has taken generations for the Peruvian people to fine tune their culinary creations, and it has certainly paid off for them. Their dedication to the culinary arts has allowed Peruvian cuisine to receive recognition from some world renowned food critics.

Of course Peruvian cuisine has adapted some dishes as time has passed, but Peruvian chefs are very artful in preparing seafood, fruits, and vegetables. They have also incorporated some of the techniques from Italy and some from the Spanish.

Modern-day Peruvian food artists have worked to meld the flavors of many types of cuisine to create their own award winning Peruvian foods.

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