Jalea

Peruvian jalea is a seafood dish of lightly breaded and deep-fried fish - most often tuna, halibut, cod, or striped bass - and other mixed seafood like octopus, squid, shrimps, and scallops. It is traditionally served with thinly sliced and fried plantains called chifles, and topped with a refreshingly tart salad of lime-marinated red onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.

With an abundance of fresh local seafood during Lent weeks which coincide with the end of the summer in South America, jalea has become one of the Peruvian favorites of the fasting season, widely available in numerous cevicherias, restaurants specialized in ceviche and other seafood dishes.

Jalea Peruana is typically enjoyed with salsa criolla, ají amarillo and rocoto sauces, and sided with some yucca chips or - for an extra crunch - sprinkled with toasted Andean chulpe corn nuts called canchas.