Food in Peru

In 2009 we visited Peru: Lima, Cusco, Aguas Calientes (near Machu Picchu) and Puerto Maldonado (in the Amazon rain forest near the Bolivian border). Until shortly before and preparing for our trip, I'd never had Peruvian food. To learn about it I started going to El Rico Pollo in San Bernardino. Now I am very fond of it and have been to several other Peruvian restaurants: (a) in Los Angeles at Qusqo and Mo-Chica; (b) in Boston at Incas Peruvian Cuisine; and (c) in Milford, Connecticut at Incas Restaurant. 

In Lima, the capital, we had several meals. By far the best was a buffet at Brujas De Cachiche. It was a smorgasbord of traditional Peruvian food, all of it good. Included in a photo of one of my plates of food were two types of causa (yellow and green), pulpa (octopus) in a sauce, a mussel with a ceviche type preparation, ceviche, shrimp, trucha (smoked trout) and sliced avocado. Another plate included a large stuffed rocoto pepper and some other items that I've forgotten. 

We ate at another fancy restaurant on a wharf going into the ocean which was disappointing for me. I got lobster thermidor  and all I could really taste was the mashed potatoes that came with it. One of my friends got squid stuffed with rice and squid ink which he shared with me. It was unusual and good. Another friend got a dish which included octopus, scallops, shrimp and fish which was visually fun, but I didn't have an opportunity to try it. 

Lobster thermidor

Stuffed squid with squid ink.

Seafood dish with octopus.

One of my favorite meals was in Cusco at Incanto where we enjoyed alpaca steak and roasted guinea pig (cuy). We ate a much more forgettable meal in Cusco where I had alpaca steak that was not anywhere near as good and causa. 

Guinea pig at Incanto

Guinea pig at Incanto prepared in a different way. 

Alpaca at Incanto.

Alpaca at Incanto prepared in a different way. 

Forgettable alpaca steak with causa.

At the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes I enjoyed rocoto pepper in quinoa sauce, smoked trout (trucha) with avocado, lime and capers, and some sort of a meat and potato dish that I don't remember particularly.

Rocoto pepper in quinoa sauce

Trucha (trout)

At Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, 45 minutes by boat down the Madre de Dios River from Puerto Maldonado and adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve, we stayed in mosquito net covered huts and ate in a wonderful log dining room and had wonderful local food. Some of the dishes I ate were local catfish and fried vegetables, palm hearts and spinach, yuca fries and a fruit plate with starfruit, passion fruit, papaya, watermelon and honey. 

Catfish with vegetables

Palm hearts and spinach

Honey for dipping starfruit, passion fruit, watermelon and papaya