About Peruvian Cuisine

Peruvian food is considered by many to be the best in South America. Its rich culinary history stems mainly from the combination of Spanish and indigenous cuisines with traditional native Peruvian ingredients. Later influences came from the cuisines of China, Italy, West Africa and Japan, due to the arrival of immigrants from those locations. Due to a lack of ingredients from their home regions in Peru, these immigrants modified their traditional cuisine using items native to Peru and those which had been introduced by the Spanish.

The primary ingredients found in nearly every Peruvian dish are rice, potatoes, chicken, pork, lamb and fish. As a major fishing nation, fish and seafood are abundant and prepared with imagination. Most meals include one of the different kinds of "aji", or Peruvian hot pepper, which mainly are: yellow aji pepper, red aji pepper, red rocoto pepper. Fresh produce, spices and herbs are also a hallmark of Peruvian cuisine and give it its piquant and exotic appeal. From such a diverse history comes one of the most flavorful and innovative cuisines in the world.