I Admit It, Hate Was A Strong Word To Have Used. There are some things I like about food in Peru. Sadly, most of them are not necessarily indigenous “foodways”, as the Slow Food people would put it. But I’m eating again, and I’m usually enjoying it. 1. Fresh Juices Probably the main thing I’m going to miss about Peru when I get home. You can walk into just about any food selling business, and they will make you a tall glass of fresh fruit juice. For like $1. Any fruit you can think of, and some you’ve never encountered before (still trying to figure out what Lucuma is…). My favorite is a blend of orange and papaya. And when I say “they will make you a tall glass of fresh fruit juice”, I mean they will go get some fruit and pulverize it into juice for you. Right there. Dozens of different fruits. You can add condensed milk, honey, yogurt, beer (?!), whatever. It’s like Jamba Juice, but real. And it doesn’t cost $5. 2. Empanadas Empanadas are the simplest thing ever. Pastry wrapped around some combination of meat, cheese, onions, and/or vegetables. Bottom line, I haven’t met an empanada that was necessarily a lot better than the empanadas you can get back home. But, here they are. And they are super awesome. My favorite are the cheese ones which are wrapped in puff pastry (though the photo is a chicken empanada). Like a baroque grilled cheese sandwich. 3. Triples A triple (pronounced TREE-play) is a double decker sandwich. Yes, I know, something else that isn’t exactly indigenous. But they really take it to a new level here in Peru. Also, I have to say I can’t think of any sandwich shop in the states where you could get something like this. The triple has also introduced me to what may be the best sandwich concept of all time: my already preferred avocado & cheese, with a fried egg. It’s going to be even better when I get home and can make it with wheat bread (not really a thing here in Peru), Cabot cheddar, and the yolk of the egg still runny. 4. Cusqueño Cheese Sort of halfway between white cheddar and feta. Doesn’t really melt, but who cares? The best part is that they put it in everything. Especially soup. Tomato soup with half-melted cheese in it is The Best. 5. Cafe con Leche I am officially spoiled now, and upon returning home will refuse to drink plain old drip coffee with milk added to it. Cafe con Leche, here in Peru, does not simply mean coffee with milk. It’s basically what poncey coffee joints in Brooklyn call a “flat white”, i.e. a small latte with a higher espresso to milk ratio. Including the frothy foam on top.

I Admit It, Hate Was A Strong Word To Have Used.

There are some things I like about food in Peru. Sadly, most of them are not necessarily indigenous “foodways”, as the Slow Food people would put it. But I’m eating again, and I’m usually enjoying it.

1. Fresh Juices

Probably the main thing I’m going to miss about Peru when I get home. You can walk into just about any food selling business, and they will make you a tall glass of fresh fruit juice. For like $1. Any fruit you can think of, and some you’ve never encountered before (still trying to figure out what Lucuma is…). My favorite is a blend of orange and papaya.

And when I say “they will make you a tall glass of fresh fruit juice”, I mean they will go get some fruit and pulverize it into juice for you. Right there. Dozens of different fruits. You can add condensed milk, honey, yogurt, beer (?!), whatever. It’s like Jamba Juice, but real. And it doesn’t cost $5.

2. Empanadas

Empanadas are the simplest thing ever. Pastry wrapped around some combination of meat, cheese, onions, and/or vegetables. Bottom line, I haven’t met an empanada that was necessarily a lot better than the empanadas you can get back home. But, here they are. And they are super awesome. My favorite are the cheese ones which are wrapped in puff pastry (though the photo is a chicken empanada). Like a baroque grilled cheese sandwich.

3. Triples

A triple (pronounced TREE-play) is a double decker sandwich. Yes, I know, something else that isn’t exactly indigenous. But they really take it to a new level here in Peru. Also, I have to say I can’t think of any sandwich shop in the states where you could get something like this.

The triple has also introduced me to what may be the best sandwich concept of all time: my already preferred avocado & cheese, with a fried egg. It’s going to be even better when I get home and can make it with wheat bread (not really a thing here in Peru), Cabot cheddar, and the yolk of the egg still runny.

4. Cusqueño Cheese

Sort of halfway between white cheddar and feta. Doesn’t really melt, but who cares? The best part is that they put it in everything. Especially soup. Tomato soup with half-melted cheese in it is The Best.

5. Cafe con Leche

I am officially spoiled now, and upon returning home will refuse to drink plain old drip coffee with milk added to it. Cafe con Leche, here in Peru, does not simply mean coffee with milk. It’s basically what poncey coffee joints in Brooklyn call a “flat white”, i.e. a small latte with a higher espresso to milk ratio. Including the frothy foam on top.

Notes

  1. itchyfoot posted this

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