National Cuisine of Peru: “Culinary Symbiosis. Cuisine of Peru

The history of the state has had an incredible impact on traditional Peruvian cuisine. Until the Spaniards conquered the country, the local Incas ate agricultural products: corn, potatoes and various root crops. Using holes dug in the ground and filled with red-hot stones, women cooked stews and soups. To get fragrant spices, they crushed garlic, chili and calendula. Also in the sea, the Indians caught fish, shrimp, crabs and other inhabitants, in the mountains and forests they got the meat of deer, rabbits and sheep, they hunted pigeons, quails, partridges and ducks, they collected the fruits of fruit trees in the river valleys.

After the Spaniards took over Peru, traditional cuisine The Incas were modified by the Creoles. Milk, butter, cream, meat of domestic animals appeared in the diet of the local population. They also began to use olives, vinegar and cereals: rice, barley, wheat. The colonialists brought new varieties of vegetables and fruits, which perfectly acclimatized in Peru. Later, the Arabs taught the Indians to use herbs: coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, sugar cane. But no matter how much influence the cuisine of Peru has, the main ingredients are still potatoes, corn and rice.

Features of Peruvian cuisine

  1. The local population consumes dried coca leaves in large quantities. They can be chewed, brewed instead of tea and added to various dishes. Coca does not give a narcotic effect in this form, but it is an excellent tool for maintaining vigor and tone.
  2. It is not customary to eat bread in large quantities. In cafes and restaurants, it is usually not served with the main course, so, if you wish, ask the waiter for a loaf.
  3. Portions are always very large. For example, in a huge bowl of broth, beans, beans, the jaw of a ram, from which it was boiled, can float. There are practically no obese people in Peru. The local population loves to eat, but at the same time they move a lot, and they are also influenced by the high mountain climate.
  4. Peruvian cuisine is highly dependent on the regions of the country. On the Pacific coast, for example, in, they are mainly prepared from seafood, for example, ceviche. It is made from fish, onions, lime juice, and potatoes, corn or sweet potatoes will be offered as a side dish. A feature of this dish is the juice, which is obtained by mixing all the ingredients. Aborigines call it "tiger's milk" and serve it in a separate cup with the main meal.

Peruvian first courses

There are a huge number of recipes for the first courses of Peruvian cuisine. Puree soup, chupes, aguaditos, chupe creola, sudatos, as well as rich and light soups are cooked here. In any restaurant you will be offered at least ten different options.

  1. The most popular first course is parihuela. For its preparation, seafood is used, soup is served in a large bowl-like bowl, which is decorated with crab claws and edible algae. In general, the local population strongly believes that seafood has a positive effect on a person's sexual temperament.
  2. Another famous sea soup is chupe de camarones, which is made from shrimp, eggs, milk and pepper. The last ingredient is the most important in the national cuisine of Peru.
  3. Aborigines are also very fond of lentil soup. It is boiled from browned onion, thyme, flour, tomato paste, garlic, parsley and lentils. The dish is very tasty both cold and hot.

Cuisine of Peru - recipes for second courses

In Peruvian cuisine, recipes for meat dishes are quite diverse. Pork, beef, lamb, poultry, llama alpaca are consumed here. The national dish is kuy - a local stewed or fried guinea pig cooked with spices, which is a healthy and valuable delicacy used by the natives since antiquity. Guinea pig meat does not contain cholesterol, and the taste is reminiscent of suckling pig. This animal can be ordered at any cafe and restaurant at, as well as from street vendors.

One of the most popular second courses in pachamanca is an assortment of different types of meat. Its preparation is original, even extravagant. A small hole is made in the ground, in which a fire is made, and a layer of stones is laid out on top. After the fire burns out, everything they want to cook is thrown onto the boulders: sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and, of course, various meats. Then an impromptu earthen smokehouse is covered with leaves of banana trees, tubes are stuck in to release steam and smoke, and buried. After a certain time, the stove is dug up, the food is laid out on plates and enjoy the fragrant unforgettable taste.

If you want to try a vegetable stew with local spices, then try the saltado, and the fragrant huancaina papas dish is prepared from potatoes with the addition of lemon juice, melted cheese, green salad and spicy sauce. Even in Peru they make an appetizing local corn porridge called "kinua", which has a variety of fillers. Vegetarians can try roasted aloe vera leaves or tator cane.

Peruvian cuisine drinks

Those who like to drink something stronger in Peru will be offered the national forty-five-degree "pisco-sur", made on the basis of grapes, lemon juice, eggs and other things. In the markets of the country, anise vodka cachaca is poured directly from the barrel into any container for everyone. It is usually mixed with lime juice. Local rum is made from sugar cane, it has a characteristic aftertaste, it is usually infused with a variety of herbs and is called "aquardiente".

If you get very hot while walking around the city, drink a cooling kvass made from a decoction of white and black varieties of corn. This drink is very useful for the human body, and it also helps with various digestive disorders. Since Peru grows a huge amount fruit trees, then fruit cocktails and fresh juices are sold very cheaply on every corner. Consider Inca-Cola as your favorite non-alcoholic drink, the taste of which is reminiscent of our domestic Pinocchio.

Restaurants have a wide range of teas made from various herbs or coca leaves. Also in Peru, they constantly drink the traditional mint drink - "yerba mate". It is consumed through a thin tube, which is made from dried pumpkin. Local soft drinks such as chicha, inglesa, chicha morada, inca and chicha de hora are also popular.

Desserts Cuisine of Peru

In Peruvian cuisine, dessert recipes are distinguished by fantasy and ingenuity. Mazamorra Morada blue cornmeal pudding, Suspiro A La Limena meringue cake, Dona Rera nougat, something similar to Picarones donuts, rice pudding and other sweets will be prepared here.

The whole range of tropical vegetables and fruits grows in the country - this is the hallmark of Peruvian cuisine. From bananas familiar to us to grandalia and pepino. There are also strawberries, melons, grapes, plums, peach, orange, papaya, tuna, Turkish delight, chirimoya and many, many other goodies. And the local avocado is present in many Peruvian recipes.

Peruvian cuisine restaurants

In public eating places in big cities, you can always find ordinary European dishes. If you buy food on the street, then watch the cooking process, usually it does not arouse suspicion and doubt. Consider a few popular restaurants in Peru:


  • Address Jr. Bambues 198, La Molina A la espalda del CC Molina Plaza, Lima 15024, Peru.
  • Phone number +51 1 3697297
  • - This is a popular French restaurant in, which received an award in the nomination "Tourist's Choice". There is a cozy homely atmosphere, delicious cuisine, excellent wine list. The owner of the establishment comes up to talk with the guests, learns their wishes. The restaurant serves both national Peruvian dishes and ordinary European ones.

  • peruvian cuisine as diverse and amazing as the country itself. Traditional Peruvian cuisine varies by region and city. The history of the state has had an incredible impact on traditional Peruvian cuisine. Until the Spaniards conquered the country, the local Incas ate agricultural products: corn, potatoes and various root crops. Using holes dug in the ground and filled with red-hot stones, women cooked stews and soups. To get fragrant spices, they crushed garlic, chili and calendula.

    Also in the sea, the Indians caught fish, shrimp, crabs and other inhabitants, in the mountains and forests they got the meat of deer, rabbits and sheep, they hunted pigeons, quails, partridges and ducks, they collected the fruits of fruit trees in the river valleys. After the Spaniards took over Peru, Creole changes were made to traditional Inca cuisine. Milk, butter, cream, meat of domestic animals appeared in the diet of the local population. They also began to use olives, vinegar and cereals: rice, barley, wheat. The colonialists brought new varieties of vegetables and fruits, which perfectly acclimatized in Peru. Later, the Arabs taught the Indians to use herbs: coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, sugar cane. But no matter how much influence the cuisine of Peru has, the main ingredients are still potatoes, corn and rice.

    Recipes of Peruvian cuisine. Dishes for the holidays. National New Year's recipes.

    First meal:

    • Seafood soup parihuela
    • Seafood soup "chupe de camarones"
    • Lentil soup
    • Inca soup
    • Peruvian chupe chowder
    • Soup a la Creola
    • "supe de samarones"

    Main dishes:

    • Kui - stewed or fried guinea pig
    • Pachamanca - assorted different types of meat
    • Pollo a la Brasa
    • Peruvian fried chicken
    • Alpaca
    • Rokoto Relleno
    • Anticuchos
    • Aji de gallina
    • Lomo Saltado
    • juancaina papas - fried potatoes with melted cheese
    • "saltado" - stew of fried vegetables
    • Rice baked in a Peruvian pot
    • "ko-ko" - tripe stuffed with potatoes
    • "karapulkra" (Spanish Carapulcra) - a dish of pork, dried potatoes, chicken and sunflower seeds
    • "eskabeche" - cold fish appetizer with onions and peppers

    Dough dishes and desserts:

    • Kausa casserole
    • Causa
    • Lukuma
    • Empanadas pies with various fillings
    • Picarones - fluffy donuts with syrup
    • "flan" - biscuits with condensed milk
    • Crispy and very sweet and the fruit of the cactus "tuna"
    • cactus jam
    • Prickly Pear Sorbet
    • cactus jelly
    • prickly pear marmalade
    • black corn pudding
    • corn pie
    • Banana Alfajores with Peanut Butter

    National drinks:

    • "pisco sour"
    • "chicha" is a soft drink made from cereals.
    • Black corn jelly - masamorra morada
    • Fragrant tea from local herbs, mint leaves and coca
    • Local wines "Takama Gran Vino", "Vista Alegre" and "Vino Tinto"
    • Local beer "Pilsen", "Crystal", "Kuskena", "Trujillana", "Arequipena"
    • Local rum "aquardiente"
    • Mint drink - "yerba mate"
    • Peruvian Pisco
    • Refreshing drinks "chicha", "inglesa", "chicha morada", "inca" and "chicha de hora"

    Below we will give you a description of only a few dishes and products that make up the daily diet of local residents.

    And so, potatoes: Peru is the birthplace of potatoes and Peruvians know how to grow about 4 thousand different types. Local housewives are quite categorical in the choice of potatoes and will be able to help you choose the right variety for frying, boiling, soup, etc.


    You will be surprised by the dried potatoes, which are quite dry in taste, but they can be stored for a long time.

    Second place is occupied by corn - among which the most popular varieties are:

    Choclo - an ear with huge yellow grains (it is also served as a side dish, and in season you can buy a whole boiled ear on the streets of Peru, wrapped in its natural packaging, poured with sauce and with slices of homemade cheese - you will lick your fingers!) and

    Purple corn - this variety is mainly used for the preparation of a beer drink, low alcohol, chicha morada, and sweet masamorra porridge.

    It is impossible to visit Peru and not try ceviche - one of the most famous Peruvian fish dishes. Fresh fish marinated in lemon juice with onion served with choclo and lettuce. Unbearably delicious!

    The most exotic meat dish is oven-roasted or roasted guinea pig. There are many restaurants that specialize in cooking guinea pigs, where you can order this dish with a wide variety of side dishes.

    With all its diversity, the set of products for cooking national dishes remains as simple and satisfying as possible: potatoes, rice, legumes and grains, vegetables and fruits. On the coast, the diet was supplemented by fish and seafood. Moreover, they are often marinated than fried or baked.

    Popular Peruvian dishes

    One of the most popular dishes in Peruvian cuisine is ceviche. Made from fish and seafood, it originated in coastal areas and spread throughout the country and neighboring regions. Today, tourists visiting Peru are sure to be offered ceviche in local restaurants, and in different regions it is cooked in their own way, adding a variety of seafood to fish. It can be shellfish, black scallops, shrimp, squid, which are pre-marinated with lime juice or boiled. Variants of dish names depend on the type of seafood chosen.

    Traditionally, Peruvian cuisine was fried, stewed, baked, less often boiled. The most common is the local version. vegetable stew which is served with meat. Moreover, beef and pork were used on the plains, and pork and lamb were used in the mountainous regions. The bird was on the menu everywhere. The meat is served under peanut or onion sauce with a side dish of potatoes, rice, lentils or corn.

    Bread in our understanding does not exist in Peruvian cuisine. It is successfully replaced with tamal corn tortillas. As a festive option, kassa rellek pies are baked with an original filling of potatoes, chicken, crab meat and avocado.

    What is unusual cuisine of Peru

    Highlighting the features of Peruvian cuisine, one should indicate a large number of hot spices: pepper and garlic. Their presence in the diet is explained by the hot climate and the need to protect the body from numerous infections for a long time.

    Speaking about what recipes Peruvian cuisine offers, it should be borne in mind that each region of the country had its own gastronomic preferences. If the popular ceviche appeared on the coast, then in the Andes mountains you will be served puno - steaks cooked from alpaca or llama meat. Fans of the exotic can be offered the local delicacy kui - a fried or stewed whole guinea pig.

    For our cuisine, dishes of beef with spices, such as maltado, or pork, chincharron, are more familiar. The latter in some areas of Peru is prepared from lamb.

    Cooking Peruvian dishes on your own, including them in the family menu, is not difficult. Detailed recommendations will help you do it right. Simple hearty dishes made from natural products that you can buy in our stores today will diversify your diet and surprise your loved ones with unusual tastes. Do not be afraid to cook new dishes, with them your menu will become much more interesting.

    Today, Peruvian cuisine is diverse and, sometimes combining incongruous, is considered one of the best in the world. While quinoa and pisco cocktails have become world famous, the best Peruvian dishes are still made in the country itself. Below is a list of 10 dishes to try on your way to Machu Picchu.

    ceviche

    The Peruvian current, passing through the Pacific Ocean near the Peruvian coast, is one of the richest sources of seafood. If Peru had a national dish, it would probably be raw fish marinated in citrus juice. The fruit acid "cooks" the fish, giving it a delicate flavor and making the fish easier to chew. Red onion and aji pepper are added as spices.

    This dish is served, usually during lunch, along with sweet potatoes or choclo, white Andean corn with miniature grains. If you are a gourmet, you can try the citrus marinade left on the plate, known as tiger milk.

    Kui

    Perhaps this will repel someone, but that's the way it is, there is nothing to hide here. The meat of this animal is eaten by many Peruvians living in the Andes. This animal is called the guinea pig.

    One of the reasons why this dish is considered so important for the rural population: an exact copy of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" hangs in the cathedral, in which it is the kui dish on the table in front of Jesus and his 12 disciples. The meat, in which, I must say, quite a lot of bones is baked or fried on a spit and served whole - along with the head. It tastes like rabbit or game.

    Causa

    When you visit any market in Peru, you will find two things: hundreds of varieties of potatoes, which may be native to Peru (the country has long disputed this title since) and piles of avocados. To prepare a traditional causa, these two ingredients are stacked in layers, as for a casserole. Then the dish is cut into slices and served cold. Canned tuna, meat, or a hard-boiled egg can also be added to the causa.

    Lomo Saltado

    Hundreds of years ago, long before Asian cuisine became popular in the world, the Chinese arrived in Peru by boat in search of work. A clear example of their influence on the diet of Peruvian cuisine and cooking methods can be called a kind of hybrid ster fry (a dish prepared by quickly frying with constant stirring), consisting of meat, tomatoes, peppers, onions, mixed in a saucepan with soy sauce and fried potatoes. The dish is served with white rice. The bad news for carb-watchers is that this dish is definitely not for you.

    Aji de gallina

    The aji pepper is as yellow as the Tweety bird. This dish is a simmered meat with chicken, condensed milk and large crusty slices of bread. A vegetarian alternative to this dish with a similar flavor is papa a la wancaina, which is boiled potatoes with a creamy yellow sauce.

    Anticuchos

    Grilled marinated meat on a spit (very similar to barbecue) can be found almost everywhere in Peru. Restaurants high level offer this dish as an appetizer. Street vendors selling anticuchos under garlic sauce. Any meat can be used for the dish, however, for cooking according to the traditional recipe, and therefore the best, beef heart is used.

    It is believed that this recipe originates during the reign of the Spanish conquerors in Peru. The Spaniards cut out the best parts of cow meat and took them for themselves, leaving the internal organs to the slaves.

    Rokoto Relleno

    This dish is usually associated with Arekupa, Peru's second largest city, but you can find it everywhere. Looks like regular red bell pepper turns out to be a spicy rocoto pepper (which is 10 times hotter than a jalapeno when raw, but when cooked loses its “thermonuclear” properties), filled with spicy fried minced meat and a hard-boiled egg. It is topped with white melted cheese, then baked and served.

    Alpaca

    In the northern hemisphere, the word "alpaca" is associated with expensive wool, which is used to knit sweaters and socks. But in the high Andes, this member of the camelid family (a younger cousin of the llama) has also been a source of meat for many centuries.

    The taste of the meat resembles the meat of a buffalo or other artiodactyl that feeds on grass. The absence of lard in alpaca meat makes it excellent for curing, another long-known Peruvian culinary innovation.

    Lukuma

    The cuisine may be famous for its spiciness and saltiness, but Peruvians love sweets. Proof of this is the popular Inca Cola, a tooth-melting soda flavored with chewing gum.

    Lucuma is a mango-like fruit that has a sweet taste akin to wedge syrup. It is used in the preparation of desserts. The lucuma fruit is also popular as a type of ice cream.

    Pollo a la Brasa

    Chicken fried in Peruvian style is so delicious and popular that now it can be tasted in every corner of the world. The secret is to marinate the bird in a soy sauce flavored with red pepper, garlic and cumin, which gives the meat and skin a smoky and salty taste.

    Outside of Peru, this dish is often served with french fries. However, a more traditional side dish is fried yuca or casava (edible cassava), which is easy to chew. Dipping sauces are also served with the dish.

    My blog statistics show that the most interesting so far have been publications about Peru, a country that my family and I discovered by accident this year and which we highly recommend to everyone as a tourist destination.

    I have already written a lot about various amazing places in Peru, which not only amaze the imagination and leave the most vivid emotions, but also can change the view of the history of human development. However, talking about the peculiarities of the country, one should never forget about the peculiarities national cuisine, because few things can characterize a country so well as its gastronomy. Just imagine - what goes better with German burghers than frothy beer and pork sausages with cabbage? For Russians - pancakes, dumplings and borscht? For Georgians - fragrant shish kebab, khinkali and kharcho? The main dishes of the country reflect its national character and the various turns of its historical path.

    Today I want to talk about three, in my opinion, the most striking national dishes of Peru, through which, as through a prism, new facets of this country are revealed.

    I bet that one of them is familiar to you and you all tried it, the second you associated with a completely different country, about the third - you did not even suspect that it existed.

    No. 1. Corn (second name - maize)

    Probably, many of you, having seen corn as the first national dish, chuckled. Everyone tried it, well, what's wrong with it - corn and corn. Friends, but you have not tried such corn as in Peru. This is something absolutely fantastic, delicious, completely from another planet. Peruvian corn is as similar to ours as an adult hardened wolf is to a mongrel living in a kennel.

    If Nikita Sergeevich went not to the USA, but to Peru, then we would not have avoided sowing all the areas with corn, because it is absolutely impossible to forget it.

    Imagine a small cob of corn, but at the same time with grains the size of a very large pea - or a hazelnut, for example, and you will understand what kind of corn grows in Peru. Of course, in the first place it is also a fodder crop for livestock, but the Peruvians themselves are very fond of it as a national delicacy. Fresh ears are boiled in boiling water and served directly in a corn leaf (no cellophane). And no salt! Instead of salt, Peruvians eat boiled corn with salty goat cheese. The grandmothers who sell corn (yes, grandmothers sell it there too) are equipped just like that - on one side there is a vat of corn, on the other - a bag of goat cheese, a large chunk of which will be generously cut off for you in addition to the cob.

    The taste of Peruvian corn is much superior even to that of Brazil (which we tried on the beach), to say nothing of those unfortunate fellows of this plant growing in our latitudes. Juicy, milky, aromatic. In general, a feast of taste (“a feast of the spirit”, ahaha, for those who are in the know).

    Interesting Peruvian Corn Facts:

    • In addition to the well-known yellow corn, black corn is also common in Peru. It looks very unusual, how it tastes - I can’t say, because I haven’t tried it. Black corn is used to make one of Peru's most popular national drinks, chichu morada, an unfermented soft drink that is great to quench your thirst on a hot day.

    • In total, more than 50 varieties of corn are grown in Peru. However, in terms of corn production, Peru ranks only 45th in the world, about 200 times behind the leader of the list, the United States, and 7 times behind Russia.
    • According to scientists, corn as a cultivated plant appeared on the territory of modern Mexico about 7-12 thousand years ago (excavations at the sites of the ancient Indians testify to this). Interestingly, corn cobs in those days were about 10 times smaller than modern varieties, and did not exceed 3-4 cm in length. The current size of the ears is the merit of the Indians who carried out the selection of this plant.

    No. 2. Ceviche (raw fish)

    (accent on the penultimate syllable, according to the rules of the Spanish language - on the letter "and").


    Ceviche in a restaurant in Lima

    I am sure that raw fish as a dish is associated with most of our compatriots, primarily with Japan. Yes, and how not to associate it with Japan, when at every step in more or less major city there are numerous sushi restaurants, bars and cafes.

    So, Peru, with no less reason than Japan, can claim the title of a country whose national cuisine includes raw fish. This dish is called ceviche (or sebich - the Spanish language does not distinguish between the sound "v" and "b", so Vanya and Banya are the same for them, as in the famous Russian joke).

    Ceviche is considered a real hallmark of Peru. The basis of ceviche is fresh, finely chopped fish, marinated for 15 minutes in citrus, lemon or lime juice. Chili peppers, rokoto or ahi (aji) and red onion are used as seasoning. Garnished with sweet potato, corn kernels, avocado and lettuce, this ceviche recipe is recognized as the benchmark for preparing the national dish of Peruvian cuisine.

    There are thousands of options for ceviche, this dish has one thing in common - the extraordinary freshness of the products, thanks to which you can eat them without fear of poisoning.

    Initially, ceviche was made with the juice of the local tumbo fruit, a bit like mini-bananas, after the Spanish colonization they began to use oranges, and now they are made with lime juice, which in Peru is called lemon. Ceviche is the main theme of the experiments of local creative chefs and the favorite homemade food of Peruvians.

    To be honest, I'm not a fan raw fish and could not bring myself to try it, but Lena happily ate a whole plate of ceviche at a local restaurant (to her credit, without flavoring this meal with alcohol, which I would certainly do).

    Interesting Ceviche Facts:

    • Ceviche began to be prepared as early as the Inca era - evidence of the Spanish conquistadors, whom the Indians treated to pieces of marinated fish in a slightly sour and spicy liquid, has been preserved.
    • Ceviche produces a sauce called "tiger's milk" (leche de tigre) as a by-product. This is the sauce milky, which is formed by the interaction of fish proteins and sour citrus juice. Some consider it an aphrodisiac, but regardless, "tiger's milk" is one of the favorite sauces of Peruvian gourmets.
    • Having begun its popularity in Peru, ceviche is now widespread throughout Latin America (although, of course, it is primarily associated with Peru).

    Number 3. Kui (fried or baked guinea pig)

    If you want to impress a European, tell him that you ate a guinea pig. At first they will look at you with surprise, then with some disgust, then they will start asking questions. It turns out that guinea pig is one of the most striking, iconic national dishes of Peru, completely unusual for you and me.

    However, Peruvians treat pigs in much the same way that we treat rabbits. Pigs are bred here on special farms, which are widespread. This is what a typical farm looks like with an output of 150 kui per week:


    Queen's farm in Peru

    Farmers sell kui at $4-5 per carcass. In the markets, it is sold raw for $8 dollars, and cooked for $10-12. and more expensive.

    The name "kui" comes from the language of the Quechua Indians and in translation means just "guinea pig". The name seems strange to the Russian ear, but it's just a sound imitation (remember how pigs do when they are looking for food - kui-kui-kui, and you will understand where the name came from). In Russian, of course, it sounds dissonant, so when we bought Yura a small toy - a fur kui - our guide Olga suggested calling this pig not kui, but kuisito (a diminutive suffix in Spanish).

    It is hard to imagine, but still in the Peruvian mountains, herds of wild cuys run. They prefer territories near the banks of mountain rivers, often found in abandoned ruins. Domestic cuys can be found in any Quechua Indian home, where pigs move completely freely under their feet until it's time for dinner :).

    Cui is a favorite food of many Peruvians, so much so that there are even special restaurants (cafes) specializing in them (like our barbecues). It is also a great attraction for tourists - the dish is presented in all restaurants of national cuisine, and it is quite expensive (on average, one kui costs 1000-1200 rubles in a tourist restaurant, and about half the price in establishments for locals).

    To cook kui, it is first pulled on a thick wooden skewer to give it firmness and elasticity, and then it is fried either on a conventional grill or in a special oven.

    In more expensive restaurants, kuya is prepared in such a way that its natural shape is not lost, so an oven is most often used. We ate kuya cooked in just such an oven:


    Kuya oven

    If we ignore the form of the dish and move on to the content (i.e. taste), then I can say that Kui is a rat like a rat. There is not enough meat, you need to literally gnaw it from the bones. I did not feel any foreign smells or tastes; in principle, everything is quite pleasant, but I can’t even call it a super delicacy. Although our wonderful guide Nina (by the way, Russian, just lives in Peru for a long time) said that their family often go to eat kuya in specialized restaurants and love this dish very much.

    At the end of the post - a few interesting facts about this unusual dish:

    • About 22 million cuis are consumed per year in Peru (that is, approximately 0.7 pieces for each of the 32 million Peruvians). Most likely, this figure does not take into account the kui, which are grown in peasant farms for their own consumption (because they do not appear in any statistics).
    • The Incas had a saying - "I grew a kuya - I ate well", which reflected the importance of this animal for the meager diet of the inhabitants of the mountains.
    • Peruvians believe that Jesus and the apostles ate kuya at the Last Supper, which, despite the lack of meat, is still considered a nutritious protein-containing dish and is associated by many Peruvians with some kind of holidays or celebrations. Below is the famous copy of the fresco by Leonardo da Vinci (Last supper), creatively rethought by the Peruvians.

    The Last Supper in Peruvian

    It can be seen that on the table in front of Christ and the apostles there is a kuy on a dish, there are papaya among the fruits, and chicha is poured into the Inca goblets. Peruvians did not just copy famous works, but added to them the details that surround them in everyday life. Now this picture hangs in the main cathedral of the city of Cusco:


    Main Cathedral in Cusco

    Read my other publications about amazing Peru:

    Cusco - the ancient capital of the Incas- a story about the central city of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, ancient capital this people. One of the most wonderful places in Peru.

    Sacred Valley of the Incas- a detailed story about all the amazing sights of the place in the Urubamba river valley, where the capital was located ancient empire Incas.

    How to get to Machu Picchu and not go crazy- the name speaks for itself :). The publication details the logistics to Machu Picchu as of May 2018.

    Machu Picchu - truth and fiction about the legendary city of the Incas— a story about visiting the most famous landmark in Peru in May 2018, which is accompanied by interesting and little-known details from the history of Machu Picchu

    Gods who created ancient civilizations- detailed material that the whole version of human history that we are told in schools has nothing to do with what really happened. Amazing facts and evidence that I personally managed to see and touch.

    Lima - a city of contrasts- a story about one day spent in the capital of Peru, the city of Lima.