# Travel >> Destinations >> Mexico

What to Eat in Peru: 12 Iconic Dishes You Must Try

Peru's cuisine is a fusion of Andean, Amazonian, coastal, Spanish, African, Chinese, and Japanese flavors — consistently ranked among the world's best. Here are the essential dishes.

1. Ceviche — The National Dish

Raw fish/seafood "cooked" in lime juice, red onion, cilantro, ají (chili). Served with cancha (toasted corn), camote (sweet potato), choclo (giant Andean corn). Variations: mixto (mixed seafood), conchas negras (black clams), tiradito (Japanese-style, no onion).

2. Lomo Saltado — The Stir-Fry Hybrid

Beef strips, red onion, tomato, ají amarillo, soy sauce, vinegar — wok-fried (Chinese chifa influence). Served with rice AND fries. The ultimate comfort mashup.

3. Ají de Gallina — Creamy Chicken Stew

Shredded chicken in velvety sauce: ají amarillo, milk, cheese, walnuts, bread thickener. Topped with olive, boiled egg, potato. Pre-Inca roots, convent refinement.

4. Causa — Layered Potato Terraine

Mashed yellow potato (papa amarilla) + lime + oil, layered with chicken/tuna/avocado/veggie salad, topped with mayo sauce. Cold, elegant, portable.

5. Papa a la Huancaína — Potatoes in Spicy Cheese Sauce

Boiled potatoes smothered in huancaína sauce: ají amarillo, queso fresco, evaporated milk, crackers. Hard-boiled egg, olive garnish. Andean origin, nationwide love.

6. Arroz con Pollo — Green Rice with Chicken

Cilantro-infused rice (green!), dark beer, peas, carrots, chicken. Birthday/party staple. Not the same as Latin American versions.

7. Rocoto Relleno — Stuffed Spicy Pepper

Rocoto (Andean pepper, hot!) stuffed with beef, onion, garlic, raisins, olives, egg, cheese. Baked with milk sauce. Arequipa specialty.

8. Anticuchos — Grilled Heart Skewers

Beef heart (or chicken), marinated in vinegar, cumin, ají panca, garlic. Street food royalty. Served with boiled potato, corn, ají sauce.

9. Picarones — Sweet Potato/Squash Donuts

Fermented dough (camote + zapallo + flour + yeast), fried ring-shaped, drizzled with chancaca syrup (unrefined cane molasses + spices). Colonial convent origin.

10. Chicha Morada — Purple Corn Drink

Boiled purple maize (maíz morado) + pineapple peel, cinnamon, cloves, lime. Non-alcoholic, antioxidant-rich. Chicha de jora = fermented version (ancient).