Comida tipica

Peruvian cuisine is anything but typical. Our first night in Miraflores (Lima), we ventured to a restaurant with a fabulous view of the Pacific ocean. Lima is situated right on the coast, high atop these beautiful cliffs which are lined with various parks that hug the edge. Our first taste of Peru was their national drink, the Pisco sour. Pisco is a type of brandy made from the muscat grape. A pisco sour is made with pisco, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, a little big of egg white, and a splash of bitters. Ray is a fan, I like the Cusquena beer better.



The table next to us ordered this awesome scallops and clams dish, served in clamshells and covered with parmesan cheese. So rich! We also ordered the ceviche which Peru is known for - sea bass or "corvina", this was also incredible, especially the price :)



The food in Cusco was equally wonderful. Here we explored the gringo restaurants, local restaurants (known as "picanterias"), and pizzerias...they sure do love their Italian here. Upon arrival to our hotel, El Balcon, we were met with steaming mugs of mate de coca (tea made with coca leaves) to help with the altitude:



Unlike Mexico or other central American countries, tortillas are not part of the Peruvian diet. Potatoes, rice, and corn are staples. Their corn (choclo) are very sweet, and the kernels are HUGE (2-3x the size of our corn). Recoto relleno (stuffed peppers) is a delicious, typical dish. Here they are served with papa dorado (potatoes cooked through but crispy on the outside):



Aji de gallina (chicken & onions over rice), trucha (trout), and bisteca (grilled meat) are also typical dishes. Oddly enough, these dishes are very similar to filipino food, so I actually ate more rice in Peru than I would normally do (after 21 years you get a little burned out).







And last but not least, the Peruvian delicacy, Cuy al horno...aka your childhood pet guinea pig. Here it is Pre-Ray:



And post....YUCK!



If you want to know what it tastes like you'll have to ask Ray. And he will try to convince you that it's good. Boys are gross.