Peruvian food has become one of the world's great cuisines, drawing on indigenous Andean ingredients, Spanish colonial cooking, and strong influences from West Africa, Japan, and China. Lima is the obvious place to eat well, but the basics — ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina — are on menus across the country.
Ceviche is the national dish: raw fish cured in lime juice, seasoned with aji amarillo pepper, thinly sliced red onion, and cilantro, served with corn and sweet potato. It should be fresh and eaten at lunch; a good cevicheria will run out of fish by mid-afternoon. The marinade (leche de tigre) is often served as a shot on the side.
Lomo saltado reflects Peru's Chinese immigrant heritage — strips of beef stir-fried with tomatoes, onions, and aji amarillo, served alongside rice and french fries simultaneously. It sounds odd and works perfectly.
Aji de gallina is shredded chicken in a creamy sauce of yellow chili, bread, walnuts, and Parmesan, served over rice with olives and a slice of hard-boiled egg. Rich and satisfying.
Causa limeña is a cold layered terrine of mashed yellow potato seasoned with lime and aji, filled with tuna, chicken, or avocado. It appears everywhere as an appetizer.
Cuy — whole roasted guinea pig — is a traditional Andean dish, especially common in Cusco and Arequipa. It tastes like rabbit. The presentation (usually served whole) surprises some visitors, but it has been a highland staple for thousands of years.
Chifa (Chinese-Peruvian fusion) and nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) are distinct cuisines with their own restaurant traditions, particularly in Lima. Chifas are inexpensive and found across the country.
At the local level, the menu del dia — a fixed two- or three-course lunch — is how most Peruvians eat midday. It costs between 8 and 15 soles and is invariably better value than ordering a la carte. Look for the hand-written menus on the street.
Pisco is the national spirit: a grape brandy used in the pisco sour (mixed with egg white, lime juice, and bitters) and the chilcano (with ginger ale and lime). The pisco sour is ubiquitous; try one made properly, not from a mix.