Peruvian cuisine

There are some very distinctive culinary traditions in Peru. First of all they are avid meat eaters - that includes alpaca, llama and of course guinea pig which is sold at roadside stands roasted on a stick. Roasted chicken is very popular as is ceviche - fish ‘cooked’ in lime juice. At street stands you’ll find empanadas, churros and the corn with the giant niblets.

Ceviche:

Favourite drinks include Inka Kola, kind of a yellow cream soda, Coca tea is available everywhere, and as I mentioned before, Pisco Sour is the national drink. 

 

On one of our unscheduled days in Cusco Ross and I couldn’t bear the thought of touring more ruins so we booked a cooking class which started at the market with our chef picking out some meat, fruit and veggies. 

Back at the restaurant we started by making a Chilcano, another local drink. First we cut up then crushed some ginger and strawberries. Then Estevan added 2 ounces of Pisco, a liquor made from grapes, some ice, then topped with sparkling water. 

Now we were ready for the main course - Lomo Saltado or Loin stir fry - a Peruvian dish with a Chinese influence.  

 

First cut up the beef and garlic, marinate together with some soy sauce. 

Cut up peppers, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions. 

Stir fry the meat mixture in hot oil then add Pisco to flambé. Remove meat. 

Saute the veggies till cooked, return the meat to the pan, then add rice and lastly the green onion and cilantro. 

We enjoyed our meal with the other member of the cooking class, Ben, who will be starting his PhD in particle physics at Cambridge in the fall!

All in all a great experience and another recipe to make back home. Cheers!