Food in Peru Photo Friday

Our friend Karim is going to both loathe and love me for publishing this Photo Friday post on food in Peru.  She’ll loathe me because these pictures will simultaneously make her homesick and hungry for her native country.  You can find Peruvian food in her new home of New York, but as most recent immigrants would tell you, the food is never quite the same.

Vegetarians will crave tallarin verde, a dish featuring noodles with a rich and creamy pesto sauce.

However, she will undoubtedly love me for giving props to the dishes of her motherland and for opening peoples’ minds to trying new foods with fresh, wholesome ingredients.

If you like beef jerky with real flavor, try carne de res with fries and rice on the side.

Peruvian cuisine is respected and appreciated by nations all over South America.  Peruvian restaurants are found in small towns and large cities from Otavalo, Ecuador to Montevideo, Uruguay.  Master chefs bite off of and into many Peruvian recipes.  And fusion Peruvian/Japanese restaurants abound all over the continent.

I tried arroz con pato (rice with duck) and was instantly hooked on Romana Restaurant in Chiclayo, Peru.

Everything is edible on these plates except for the tamal wrappers and World Winder copyright so don’t bite on either one (seriously people if you use a picture from a website give them credit).  Sorry to Karim’s husband Brian for this week’s Photo Friday.  He’s going to either have to hop another flight to Peru so Karim can sample these eclectic dishes.  Or he’ll need to don a chef’s cap like we did during our ceviche making lesson at Oceano Hospedaje in Huanchaco, and figure a way to recreate these plates.  As they say in Peru, Buen provecho.

Romana also served a mean sopa criolla. Don’t leave Peru without trying it.

Karim brought papa a la huancaina to our going away party at Pat and Cynthia’s apartment. Months later we were served this plate at Sabores del Peru in Chachapoyas.

This dish came from a Chinese restaurant in Nasca called Nam King. While it is officially not Peruvian, the Chinese worked fields, constructed railways, and left a lasting culinary impact.

In Peru you can unwrap a tamal for a snack between meals. They are sold on the street, in restaurants, and in stores with many varieties.

I believe this was my first time trying goat served with beans and rice. Melissa settled for a plate of fish and eyed me with jealousy.

Lomo saltado is found on thousands of menus across Peru and is popular as a bargain “menu del dia”. This Chinese inspired dish sits atop french fries and rice. If you don’t like beef, try your saltado with vegetables, chicken, or fish.