Food Checklist

As I mentioned before, I had a food checklist in Peru. The inspiration for this wasn’t out of a love for food; rather, it was to help me fully experience the Peruvian cuisine. The checklist included traditional foods as well as delicacies of the area. Additionally, I had a separate list for the different fruits of the area. Without further ado, here are the two checklists, complete with descriptions and my opinion on the food:

Traditional Foods:

Food	Description	Opinion
Ceviche	This is one of the most traditional foods in Peru. Consisting of raw fish marinated in a sauce of chili and lemon juice, the fish is effectively cooked.	Great. I loved the intense flavor, and the mix of seafood was really tasty. Many different textures.
Tres Leches	Traditional cake made with three kinds of milk. Spongy and liquid-like with cream on top.	Pretty good. Didn’t like the texture at first but it grew on me. Liked that it wasn’t too sweet.
Pollo a la Brasa	Traditional Peruvian spit-roasted chicken. Tons of spices, creating a world of flavor.	Excellent. The chicken was tender, and the spices added great flavor. Definitely something I would have again, seeing as it is easy to get and inexpensive
Chiriuchu	Traditional dish of the Incas. Has a ton of different foods, like chicken, guinea pig, toasted corn, fish eggs, cheese, seaweed, lamb, and stuffed guinea pig intestine. All served on one plate.	Surprisingly good. I didn’t think I would like it, but the flavor of all of the foods together was cool. Many different textures. Kind of strange at first because it is served cold.
Chicharron	Fried pork belly.	Great. Actually, this may be one of my favorite foods in Peru. The flavor is just amazing, and if extremely fresh, it just melts in your mouth.
Alpaca	Self-explanatory, alpaca meat.	OK. Not really the biggest fan. It had a texture like beef, but with less fat, making it a little bit less tender. Had a funny aftertaste and wasn’t too rich.
Anticuchos de Corazon	Grilled beef hearts.	Excellent. Along With chicharron, probably one of my favorite foods in Peru. I regret not having it more than once. Really tender and flavorful, with a texture of steak.
Cuy	Guinea pig.	Surprisingly good. The first time, It tasted a little funny. However, after having it again, I can say I like it a lot. Texture of chicken and a different aftertaste, somewhat strong.
Rocoto Relleno	Stuffed hot pepper.	Really good. I have had a chile relleno in the states, and this is somewhat similar. I think what made it great was the fact that I had it at a great restaurant.

Fruits:

Food	Description	Opinion
Maracuyá	Passion fruit.	Excellent. I have had passion fruit before, but the ones in Peru are much bigger and more flavorful. Many people don’t like it because it is really sour.
Granadilla	Sweet passion fruit.	Excellent. Possibly my favorite fruit in Peru. Similar texture and look to passion fruit, but much sweeter. Instead of yellowish green pulp, it was grey.
Tuna	Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit	Great. Most people don’t like it because of the really hard seeds, but I enjoyed it. The flesh has a really unique taste, something I really can’t explain.
Pepino	Yellowish brown fruit with cantaloupe-like interior.	Really cool. I thought it tasted very much like cantaloupe, only sweeter and with a ton more juice.
Lúcuma	Brownish fruit with paste-like flesh. Very dry.	Excellent. My favorite fruit in Peru. It is a flavoring for many yogurts and drinks, partially because the flesh is so dry and needs to be mixed with something wet. The flavor is very much like brown sugar to me, making it irresistible.