Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [38]
The most common brands include Tres Generaciones, Ocucaje, Ferreyros and La Botija, while Viñas de Oro, Viejo Tonel, Estirpe Peruano, LaBlanco and Gran Cruz are among the finest. Any pisco purchased in a bottle that resembles the head of an Inca will make for an unusual piece of home decor – and not much else.
If you’re interested in picking up a few bottles before flying home, find an extensive selection of duty-free brands at El Rincón del Pisco (Gate 17, Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez), a well-organized pisco boutique inside Lima’s international airport. Click here for more information.
* * *
* * *
The coca sour – a pisco cocktail laced with crushed, macerated coca leaves – is growing in popularity as an aperitif in Peru.
* * *
In the Andes, festivals are infused with indigenous foodstuffs such as chicha and roasted cuy (for a history of the guinea pig, see boxed text, Click here). For special occasions and weddings, families will gather to make pachamanca: a mix of marinated meats, vegetables, cheese, chilies and fragrant herbs buried in the ground and baked on hot rocks. This pre-Columbian tradition has its roots in nature worship: by using the earth – or Pachamama – to cook, it is being honored as well.
Return to beginning of chapter
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
For the most part, restaurants in Peru are a community affair, and local places will cater to a combination of families, tourists, teenagers and packs of chatty businessmen. Almuerzo (lunch), served at around 1pm, is the main meal of the day. This is when many eateries serve a menú, the set meal of the day, consisting of an entrada (appetizer), segundo or plato fuerte (main course) and postre (dessert). This is generally a good value. (Note: if you request the menú, you’ll get the special. If you want the menu, ask for la carta.)
The coast is home to an endless number of Chinese eateries known as chifas, which generally serve simple, Cantonese-style food. At lunch, they offer a variety of menús for all tastes and budgets. Appetizers will consist of wantan frito (fried wontons) or enrollado con verduras (spring rolls), followed by a main course of stir-fried chicken, beef or seafood with rice or noodles.
* * *
The dessert turrón de Doña Pepa was first made by a slave woman, in 1800, to honor the Christ of Miracles after she regained the use of her paralyzed arms.
* * *
Cevicherías, places where ceviche is sold, are also popular along the coast – though they pop up in the highlands, too, where they serve river trout. In the countryside, small, informal restaurants known as picanterías are a staple, and in some cases are operated right out of a person’s home, serving a few generously apportioned daily specials.
Outside of the tourist areas, an early desayuno (breakfast) can be problematic since most restaurants don’t open until at least 8am. If you need to eat early, high-end hotel restaurants often have more flexible hours.
Cena (dinner) is eaten late, and restaurants, which may be dead at 7pm, come alive at 9pm. This is not generally the case in tiny, remote towns, where everything is usually closed by 9pm.
Quick Eats
Peruvians love to eat on the street and the most popular items are anticuchos (beef heart skewers), ceviche, boiled quail eggs and choclo con queso (boiled corn with cheese). Also popular, and quite delicious, are picarones (fritters). Street stands can be extraordinarily cheap and efficient; they can also be spectacularly unhygienic. Examine closely before eating.
* * *
Rafael Palomino’s pan–Latin American cookbook Fiesta Latina features almost a dozen ceviche recipes.
* * *
Also quick,