Travellers in Lima have innumerable alternatives to taste the delicious Peruvian cookery. There is an ample sort of restaurants of all kinds. As well as an incredible offer in the outskirts of the city.

From the restaurants where the most sophisticated variables are shown, which include the recent and innovative Novo-Andean food, to the restaurants specialised on fish, the so called crossbred (criolla) food, or the nooks (huariques) where truly exquisite dishes can be tasted for a convenient price. It is all a matter of daring.

TYPICAL DISHES

The Cebiche
It is undoubtedly the unmatchable king of Peruvian cookery. Its most ancient antecedent is found in the habit of eating raw fish that the natives of the northern coast of Peru had. In occasions, this fish was macerated with the juice of the tumbo, a type of passion fruit of tropical climates. With the Spaniards came the lemon. And the citric juice of this fruit substituted that of the tumbo. The basic preparation consists of a fresh fish fillet cut into pieces and cooked in lemon. Then the limo chilli and chips of onion are added. And of course, the skilful hand of the Peruvian cook. The garnish that accompanies it depends on the place and the region. It can be parboiled sweet potato, parboiled potato, corncob and cancha (toasted corn).

The Tiradito
The popular inventiveness came up with an idea for a dish similar to the cebiche but without the onion chips. Preparation is the same of that of the cebiche; though instead of cutting the fish into small pieces, it is cut into strips.

The Carapulcra
It is the oldest crossbred dish recorded. In reality, it is an indigenous dish that is prepared with parboiled and dried potato stewed with pork and chicken, panca chilli, sunflower, garlic and other species. Naturally, these last ingredients where added by the Spanish conquistador. But the black slave decided to include the peanut, native to America, which gave it an inimitable weightiness.

The Humita
It is the most clear antecedent of the tamales. It is still eaten, and a lot. It is the dough of the fresh corncob and it can be prepared salty or sweet. They are wrapped in the proper leafs of the corncob and cooked on water. The sweet version carries raisins and the salty one can include cheese or chicken within the core.

The Tamal
It has diverse variants in some countries of America. In Peru, the base of its preparation was found by the natives who discovered in awe the vegetal oil and the lard. Both elements where added to the dough of corn. An in the core they put small pieces of pork or fowl (it has currently been replaced with chicken), with sunflower chilli and an olive. This dough is wrapped up with achira leafs. Once it was properly tied, in it went to the boiling water.

The Anticuchos
It seems to be another contribution from the black slaves who during the XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries came in large numbers to Peru. They are skewers of beef heart macerated in vinegar and panca chilli, and thereafter fried on a grill. It is accompanied with parboiled potatoes and lots of chilli.

The Lomo Saltado
Tenderloin in slices and sautéd with onions, tomato, chilli and diverse herbs. It is served with French fried potatoes and rice.

The Escabeche
The escabeche can be made of fish or chicken, marinated with vinegar and exuded in a pan.

The Ají de Gallina
Chicken stewed in pieces with milk, cheese, chilli and nuts.

The Causa Rellena
Dough of yellow potato seasoned with chilli and stuffed with tuna. It can also be stuffed with chicken. In some first class restaurants it is presented with pulp of crab.

The Choros a la Chalaca
It is easily prepared. They are the well known mussels, from which the upper shell has been removed and then scattered with nibbled onions with a bit of chilli and seasoned with lemon juice.

The Cau-Cau
Stew of innards in small bits with potato, palillo and a local mint.hierbabuena

The Tacu-Tacu:
A reheat of beans turned over with rice accompanied by breaded steak and onion sauce.

The Parihuela
Concentrated soup of fish and seafood.

The Sancochado:
Stew of beef with corncob, sweet potato, carrot, cabbage, yucca and potato.

The Pescado a la Chorrillana
Filets of fish fried in onion sauce and tomato with white wine.

The Pescado a lo Macho
Fillets of fish fried in a seafood sauce, with yellow chilli and garlic.

The Butifarra
If the sandwich was born in England and the hamburger in the United States, the butifarra was born in Peru. It is prepared with the so called French bread, with some generous slices of ham of the country in the middle, fresh lettuce and criolla sauce, which is prepared with chips of onion, lemon and parsley.

TYPICAL DESERTS

The Mazamorra Morada
The sweet by antonomasia in the ancient City of the Kings. That is why since long ago the people of Lima were known as limeños mazamorreros. It is a sweet made of flours of purple corn and sweet potato, with fresh fruits such as the pineapple and the quince, and dry fruits such as the cherry.

The Suspiro a la Limeña
Meringue with milk and vanilla sweets.

The Champús
An ideal sweet for the wintertime. It is prepared with corn flour and guanabana. It is served hot and not so thick.

The Turrón de Doña Pepa
Flour dough with margarine, yolks, salt and anise. It is baked and bathed with cane syrup so called chancaca, and topped with caramels. It is enjoyed all year long, but in October, with the outing of the image of the Lord of the Miracles, it acquires the category of national desert.

The Picarones
Fried doughnut rings made of sweet potato and gourd. Flour. They are bathed with cane syrup so called chancaca or sugarcane molasses right after being served.

DRINKS

The Chicha Morada
The chicha morada is a traditional drink. A non alcoholic beverage elaborated with purple corn.

The Pisco Sour
Unarguable king of the cocktails in Peru and many parts of the world. A drink that combines pisco, lemon, chopped ice, and angostura bitters. It is all blended; an unparalleled combination.