La Comida Peruana

Food has definitely made up a significant portion of my experience in Peru. Over the course of my trip, I've had the chance to try a ton of delicious Peruvian dishes. And the chance to talk to everyone I meet about these dishes. The standard conversation with a cab driver/waiter/co-worker I meet goes something like this:

Them: Are you American?
Me: No, Canadian.
Them: How long are you in Peru?
Me: I'm here for just under three months doing a placement with a microfinance organization as part of a work-study university course.
*note: this may seem like a complicated sentence, but I've mastered it in Spanish
Them: Wow, you speak Spanish very well!
*note: see!
Me: Umm, ahh, not really, I don't have the vocabulary to say everything I want to say, ummm....
*note: now they realise I don't actually speak all-that-impressive Spanish due to stuttering and mind-bending verb conjugation
Them: What do you think of the food in Peru!? What dishes have you tried!?

And then I go into a random stream of dishes saying 'A mi, me gusta' and  'muy rico' a billion times. But its true, food makes up a significant portion of Peruvian culture (or any culture for that matter), and Peruvians are very proud of their cuisine, with good reason, which they claim is the best in Latin America. On here, I think I have mentioned my love of aji de gallina already, yet I haven't managed to find a place quite as good as the first time I tried it in Cusco, despite searching high and low. Lomo saltado, beef stir-fry with tomatoes, potatoes, onions and rice is always a safe bet. Some new favourites include pollo a la brasa - Peruvian roasted chicken served with french fries, and various things that Maria prepares for us at the house (this one dish that looks like green goop, but is absolutely delicious). Not to forget chifa either! A fusion between Peruvian and Chinese cuisine (although, it tasted mostly like Canadian-Chinese food to me...) Or the sangucherias (Peruvian sandwich shops), which I have become addicted to, because rarely have I tasted sandwiches or juices that delicious.

 Aji amarillo peppers

I feel like my love for Peruvian food stems mainly from the Peruvian aji amarillo pepper. I haven't figured out how yet, but when I return to Canada I'm going to try to smuggle aji with me, in various forms (paste, powder, pepper). I'm doubtful I'll be able to find it in Kingston or Calgary, which is a problem because I've become addicted. It is a fairly spicy pepper, hotter than a jalapeno, with a slightly fruity/sweet flavour as well. The spice doesn't have an immediate kick though, as you don't really feel its full force until the aftertaste. It is sometimes served as a pepper (I've had this in a chifa stir-fry), but usually it is served as a yellow sauce (either in aji de gallina, on the side of pollo a la brasa, or on top of your sandwich). Whatever it's in though, it makes the dish. Peruvian cuisine wouldn't be the same without it.